Seattle Nights
by katandjasper
Summary: The news of a serial killer in Seattle has everyone unsettled. Bella walked on the street people have been murdered on everyday to get to work. She never imagined that she'd end up trying to intervene on a very red eyed vampire's hunt. (Jasper/Bella) ADOPTED BY KATANDJASPER
1. Chapter 1

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Warning: This story will contain foul language, violence, and smut— not in every chapter, but it will definitely come up eventually. Mature audiences only, hence the rated M. You've been warned, so don't go flaming me if you read something you don't like! … Silly flamers. Haha, enjoy!

Adopted from PuzzlingApprentice by katandjasper!

Original plot belongs to PuzzlingApprentice but is being changed by katandjasper as she sees fit.

Prologue (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

_We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news: _

_Terrifying the city of Seattle, Washington, a serial killer seems to be on the loose. The sixth killing in the short span of thirty days leaves citizens wondering what may be to come. The only warning__—__ the most important warning_—_ we can give is not to go out alone. There is nothing connecting the victims but the murder itself. The victims range in age, gender, and social status. You must be more vigilant than ever. Keep your cell phone charged and pepper spray on you at all times. You must be even more cautious than usual until this monster is caught._

_Angela Novazcek, Ryan Oswald, Lila Montgomery, Isaac Walsh, Allen Smith, and now Dianna Atkins have suffered this tragedy and their families are left with nothing but to mourn their deaths. _

_No witnesses have yet to come forward and so there is no sketch that we can show of this murderer. However, we must stress not to go out alone at night under any circumstances. The police are working hard to put together the evidence in order to bring this monster to justice. Unfortunately, any forensic evidence has been burned away in the fire leaving law enforcement stumped. _

_However, we are not giving up hope. He is bound to slip up and as we speak, new security cameras are being installed for your safety. _

_Do not forget; do not go outside at night_— _especially alone, charge your cell phone, stock up on pepper spray, and lock your doors. Never let anyone in to you home who you do not trust with your life. _

_If you have any information on this case or who the criminal is, please call in to the anonymous tip line. You will not be revealed to the public and you may be saving the lives of many. The number is…. _

Chapter One (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

Upon returning home from the office, I walked in to my small apartment and placed most of my belongings on the nearby counter top in my kitchen. While pulling out all of the necessary ingredients I would need in order to make a decent meal, I checked my cell and saw that I had a message from Jayson.

_Hey babe. Haven't talked to you in a while, I miss you. Want to get together for a movie at my apartment tomorrow night?_

I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for the dick that Ashlyn had set me up with three weeks ago. One date, and suddenly he has the right to call me 'babe'? I sighed and tossed the technology on the sofa in the living room before returning to the task at hand— dinner. I cracked a few eggs in a pan, quickly whipping up my omelet before I completely collapsed from exhaustion. My work days were long at the office, and while the pay was decent, the job was boring. I still wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with my life, but had decided to use this as a stepping stone.

Either way, I needed the money. There was no way I was moving back to Forks to live off of Charlie. I had to much pride for that. Not to mention, despite the fact that the gaping wound that used to open in my chest at the mere thought of the Cullens had healed, that didn't mean I wanted to deal with all the memories. Or the judging eyes of the folks who had watched me fall apart when they left and would surely hound me about how I was making it. I looked down and noticed that while my thoughts had been on my former life, my finger tips had made their way to tracing the crescent shaped scar on my forearm; my only true reminder.

Finally heading to the living room, I settled on the couch with my breakfast-dinner. My portion of eggs was probably enough for three; not to mention my two slices of toast and giant glass of orange juice. I shrugged to myself— this was comfort food at its best; that is, when you don't feel up to making fried chicken and mashed potatoes. At last, I steeled myself for turning on the television— knowing what would likely be shown on the screen. Did I really want to see that type of gore while I was trying to enjoy my dinner?

The answer: no. I really didn't. But curiosity killed the cat, and it would likely slaughter my appetite along with it.

I grabbed for the remote and clicked the small button labeled 'on.' I was tempted to cover my eyes as I waited to the outdated television to kick itself on. The image on the screen showed the scene of the newest crime. A dumpster had been set aflame with the newest victim's corpse within its lodgings, exactly the same as the previous murders. Only this one had been but two blocks away from my apartment; this crime scene was on a road that I walked twice a day on my way to and from work.

I shuddered at the thought of just how close this one was. For the first time since Charlie had called me on Monday, I was thankful for his fatherly demand that I return home this weekend; thankful for his overprotective nature. I only had to go to work tomorrow before I could leave and spend Saturday and Sunday away from the nightmare that was brewing in the city that I now called home.

I couldn't help but to stiffen as I contemplated the fact that tomorrow morning I would be walking past a place that a girl had just died.

_Dianna Atkins._

The name rattled around my head as a picture of the girl appeared next to the news broadcaster. She looked… for lack of a better word, tired. Her eyes seemed dead despite the fact that there was a smile on her face. Her hair looked dry and her skin looked stiff. The dark circles around her eyes made her appear sickly.

A frown formed on my face. The announcer commented that she was only twenty-seven, only four years older than my twenty-three. But that couldn't be right; this woman had to be in her early forties, at least. An appalling thought occurred to me that perhaps this killer had targeted a woman who really was sick, maybe with cancer or something similarly as aging. The news then flashed back to the crime scene, where the officers were looking intensely at the charred dumpster.

I silently thanked god that Charlie had remained a small town chief of police, because I never would want him anywhere near what was going on here. I was starting to think he was right, big cities were nothing but trouble.

I grumbled slightly to myself, scrubbing a hand down my tired face. Standing up jerkily, I glanced at the clock and saw the ungodly hour. I groaned— it was one in the morning. I had been stopped by my boss on my way out the door; he had been trying to convince me to accept a ride home. I had refused, of course. I loved the fresh air when I was walking home, despite the known danger that had been lurking for weeks. All his interference had insured was my presence on the streets even later at night than usual. My stomach did an uncomfortable flip-flop as I considered the fact that I could have been walking by the alley where Dianna Atkins had been killed at the time of the incident.

_That could have been me._

I was shaking slightly as I gathered up my dirty plate and cup, having downed the food while I was engrossed in the news. Balancing the cup on the plate, I used my free hand to turn off the TV before continuing on to the kitchen. Suddenly filled with nervous energy, I dropped the dishes in the sink before practically sprinting to the door. I double checked the lock before adjusting the deadbolt. I spied out the peephole and saw nothing but the empty hallway.

Sighing at my erratic temperament, I walked back to the kitchen and considered just getting a glass of water and going to bed. I took a deep breath as I realized that would never happen. Instead, I quickly hand washed all of my dirty dishes that had accumulated thus far and put them away. Glancing around, I looked for something else to do in order to keep my hands busy. Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I started fidgeting with all the books on my shelves in the living room. When I realized that there was nothing else to straighten up, I internally cursed myself for my tidy nature. Giving in to defeat, I decided to take a shower before doing my best to get some sleep— hoping that maybe the hot water would relax my twitching muscles.

I stripped on my way towards my bedroom, dropping the used clothing in my hamper before grabbing my towel off the edge of my closet door. I would never get used be being able to leave the contents of my bag of toiletries scattered around the bathroom. I had never realized _how much_ I would miss having my own bathroom.

As the hot water and billowing steam surrounded me, I tried to force my muscles to relax one by one— starting with my fingers, then my arms, then my shoulders, and so on. But it was not working. I scrubbed my skin roughly, becoming frustrated at my own skittishness. Eventually, I gave up on the idea of a 'relaxing' shower, because mine seemed to have morphed in to a 'how much skin can Bella scrape off with a loofah before she bleeds' shower. When I finally climbed out, I wondered if I would be condemned to a long sleeved shirt tomorrow or if the red marks would disappear by then.

Annoyed with myself because it was supposed to be sunny tomorrow and I would probably sweat in a long sleeved shirt, I dressed and plopped down in the center of my queen sized bed. I glanced at the clock and groaned; I had five hours until I had to be awake in the morning.

Turning off my bedside light, I glared at my ceiling. I tossed the blankets off my legs and then replaced them, repeating the action over and over because I could _not _get comfortable. I finally ended up with one leg underneath and one leg hanging out, both arms covering my face. By that time, I had begun cursing everything. Fuck the dishes for needing washing, fuck my skin for needing scrubbing, and fuck the News for attracting my attention. I was going to be miserable tomorrow and the fact that I was practically counting the minutes until I would fall asleep was only winding me up more.

I was so angry because I was freaking myself out over nothing. Whatever was going on here in Seattle was obviously not under my control. If 'whoever it was' was going to make me their next victim, then so be it. There would be nothing I could do about it but kick, scream, and try to claw out a few eyes. I would do my best to try and splatter their blood everywhere so that the fire that would be set couldn't wipe away every last bit of 'forensic evidence' and so that the killer could be caught.

I started to frown in to my arms which were still shielding my eyes. This line of thinking was doing nothing to calm me down. I took a deep breath and pushed it from my lungs before going back to the method that Charlie had taught me when I was little in Forks and could not sleep.

_100, 99, 98, 97, 96…_

I counted backwards from one hundred slowly, not allowing myself to remain tense and instead going back to relaxing each muscle one by one.

_95, 94, 93, 92…_

While it may have been a failed attempt in the shower, it proved much more successful when I could relax my legs and back without having to worry about falling down.

_91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86…._

Soon enough the eighties were turning to the seventies, then the seventies in to the sixties, until finally, the sixties turned in to darkness. Sleep enveloped me, pulling me in deeply and dragging me in to dreams thankfully clear of burning dumpsters and mysterious murderers.

The morning, however, came quickly. It seemed that as soon as my eyes had closed, they were slamming open to my alarm clock blaring. I glared at the ceiling through red rimmed eyes as one arm managed to make its way over and forcibly silence the annoying sound. My head was throbbing due to lack of sleep as I tried to stand and make my way over to my wardrobe. I stumbled slightly and had to catch myself on the wall; I stayed there for a moment, gaining my bearings before even trying to continue on with my morning.

A large yawn broke the silence of my room, but soon enough I had made my way to the kitchen and had the coffee brewing. When it was finally done, I poured a large mug full and sat with it at the table. I didn't dare water down the precious caffeine with the likes of cream or sugar, knowing that this would be my lifeline throughout the day.

One day. That's all this was. One day and I could finally visit home for the first time in three and a half months. One day and I could finally get a good night's sleep without having to wonder if some masked murderer was going to bust through my door and kill me in my sleep. One day, and I could finally escape this nightmare that was forming around me.

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**A/N: Please review! As you can tell I changed nothing but the mistakes I found. I will probably update this story once a week, at least until I have the next chapter written. If you have already read this, and don't want to review I'll understand. I am in the middle of writing my own story, plus being a beta to two other stories. I need to take my time in writing the first chapter of my own as I do want to do this story justice. I just hope that I can write it as well as the original author. Thanks to everyone who has already added this story or myself to their favorites and alerts.**


	2. Chapter 2

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Two (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

The fifteen minute walk to work was nerve-racking. Travel mug in hand and messenger bag over my shoulder, I had set out with faux confidence that I could make it there with no incidents. Eye drops had, for the most part, cleared my eyes of their red rims, a little concealer took care of the dark circles, and twice the amount of recommended pain relievers helped take care of the head ache. I had been walking swiftly down the sidewalk, happy to feel the sun on my bare arms— the redness had faded and I was thankful for my short sleeves. However, the positive atmosphere didn't last long, and came down with a crash.

I was at that road. I had to cross the street to the opposite side that I usually walk on in order to get out of the way of the policemen that were still manning the crime scene. The yellow tape closing off the area sent chills down my spine. I always walked right by that alley. How many times had I looked down there to make sure it was truly as empty as its desolate atmosphere suggested? How many times had I felt a trickle of fear down my spine when I heard a noise that I couldn't explain away? How many times had I been such an easy target for someone to attack without even realizing it?

I shivered and quickened my pace, not wanting to let my mind wonder back to Dianna Atkins and the fact that it could have been me in her place.

When I finally reached the office, I made my way to my cubical and plopped down in my office chair. Running a hand over my face, I let out a deep sigh. If nothing else, I was pretty sure that no one would be killing me while I was in my crowded workplace. Taking a deep breath, I allowed all of the fear and stress to leave me as I exhaled. Making a decision, I allowed myself to be grateful that it hadn't been me to be killed but nothing else. I was sick of being anxious— I had spent too much time filled with that emotion. No, I refused to be scared.

However, that did not mean that I was willing to be stupid. I would not walk around at night just for the thrill of it, but I also wasn't going to be sprinting my way down the street for safety. I would be cautious, but not frightened. Now that I had it out of my system, I was pretty sure that I could follow through with my decision.

Finally, I pulled my eyelids open only to notice Ashlyn standing directly in front of me; a worried expression on her face.

"Good morning, Bella." She smiled through her concern, trying to look enthusiastic about starting another long work day. "Hey," she said suddenly, apparently noticing my spaced out appearance. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just didn't get much sleep last night." My statement was punctuated by a yawn. As she laughed at me lightly, I noticed that my travel mug was already empty of my caffeinated goodness. I groaned quietly and began to stand up, fully intent on having my third cup of coffee that day, when a light hand on my shoulder pushed me back in to my seat.

"Don't worry about it; I was heading in that direction anyway." Ashlyn grabbed my mug and made off toward the break room for my refill.

"Will you marry me?" I called after her jokingly, and her resounding laugh made me smile.

"I'm not so sure that Ron would approve." She chuckled, referring to her fiance when she had returned.

I snorted and waved my hand at her dismissively in a way of saying that he didn't matter before gratefully accepting the coffee.

"So what kept you up last night?" She asked quietly, in a way that showed that she wouldn't pry for information if I were to turn her away.

"I watched the news while I was eating dinner, it kind of got me all wound up." I paused to sigh. "I just couldn't force my body to relax."

She nodded; Ashlyn knew what roads I took to and from work and the fresh concern blooming in her eyes told me that she was well aware of the newest murder.

"So, uh, did you want to grab a bite to eat with me tonight? I could drive you home after wards." She offered.

"Real subtle," I commented, and we both laughed. She knew that I would never ask her for a ride when I had two fully functional legs, not to mention my truck which resided in the parking garage of my apartment. Actually, it probably would not be a bad idea to start driving to work with what had been going on. "Honestly, I would take you up on that, but tonight I think I am just going to go home and crawl in bed before anything can even try to stop me."

She smiled softly, "Well, would you like to get together for an early breakfast tomorrow morning? I know you have to leave for your father's place around noon— I could be there at nine?"

It was kind of nice having someone looking out for me. Ashlyn and I had met our last year at college and it was just luck that the same firm had picked us up. I was glad though, it's not often that you make truly good friends. In fact, I only had her and one other. I grinned at her and decided to take her up on that offer.

She smiled fiercely before wishing me a great day and heading off to her cubby to get back to work. I took a big gulp of my coffee before booting up my computer and taking a look at the large stack of invoices that I had to go through and put in to the computer. I sighed and finally began. It wasn't hard work, though it was extremely tedious. Thirteen papers in, two hours had passed and my eyes were beginning to twitch due to staring at the screen so intensely for that duration of time. Glancing at the clock in the bottom right corner of my screen, I noticed that it was finally lunch time.

I stood up slowly, feeling as I popped and stretched pleasantly. Making my way over to Ashlyn's cubical I waved at my few acquaintances and friends and got smiles and nods in return. Finally I reached her and asked if she wanted to go out for lunch with me. She was out of her office chair before the inquiry had fully left my mouth, causing a light laugh to escape the confines of my lips.

"Where did you want to go?" She asked as we made our way out of the doors leading to the street. The sun was hidden behind clouds but it wasn't raining nor was it even the least bit cold.

"Did you want to walk down the street to that Chinese restaurant?" I suggested; it wasn't on a road where anyone had recently been incinerated so that was a plus.

She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, most likely because my suggestion included walking. She was even more skittish than me when not only did she have the luxury of not having to pass the newest scene in the morning— she even lived with a big, strong man to protect her. I had to bite back by laugh at how obviously disturbed she was at the mere thought of walking on the street alone. I was about to give in and ask if she would drive us to the Mexican place ten minutes away when she finally seemed to regain control of herself and nodded.

The walk to the restaurant was unbelievably short, only two blocks. After a moment Ashlyn became herself again and began talking animatedly about her plans for the weekend while I just smiled and nodded along. If nothing else, I was glad that she was happy and excitedly planning her wedding.

Suddenly, I stiffened and felt an ice cold chill run the course of my spine. My eyes narrowed, my instincts telling me that I was being watched. I did my best to keep up with the conversation as my eyes trailed both sides of the streets before nonchalantly glancing over my shoulder. Nothing stuck out to me but the feeling didn't dwindle. Though I knew that something wasn't right, that something was going on, I didn't tell Ashlyn of my feelings. She was already acting jumpy and I could only imagine what this information would do to her demeanor. I heard her laugh besides me, and guessing that she had made a joke I joined in.

Finally, when we were about three minutes from reaching our destination the feeling ebbed. I took a deep breath to steady myself and realized that I must have been holding it for a good amount of time while I had had the feeling of being stalked. I was thankful that whatever it was, it had stopped.

We chatted our way through the meal; mostly the conversation centered on Ashlyn's life and everything that had been going on with her. She was in no way self centered, instead she seemed to realize that I was in no mood to be leading a conversation and she was taking the pressure off me—for which I was eternally grateful. I did my best to help her out by asking the appropriate questions at the appropriate times in order to keep the conversation moving.

However, this time when my back went ramrod straight, my dear friend noticed.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Both confusion and curiosity colored her features.

I did my best to force my back to relax, though it was only on the surface. I made up some lame excuse about suddenly remembering that I had forgotten to finish something at work. I waited for her to suck herself back in to the conversation before I allowed my eyes to scan the premises, searching for the cause of my discomfort. When I again came up with nothing, I felt my eyebrows crease with a frown and did my best to turn my attention back to my friend, though all of my senses were trained on my surroundings. They may have been dull human senses, but they were better than nothing.

The feeling didn't leave until we exited the restaurant, but I was immensely relieved when I noticed that it hadn't followed me back on to the streets. We returned back to the office a short while later, our stomachs content and our minds refreshed. Well, hers was anyway. Mine was even more cluttered due to trying to figure out the strange sensation of being watched while we were out.

Somehow, I managed to get the rest of the way through my work and ended up finishing my day around 6:30 that evening. After saying a quick goodbye to Ashlyn and thankfully dodging my boss before he could once again try to force me into a ride home, I was out the door and making quick progress towards arriving home at my apartment.

About halfway there, I heard a strange noise coming from the direction I was walking. Squinting down the darkening road, I noticed that on the side opposite of that I was walking on there were two figures. One was speed walking down the road, looking frantically over his shoulder in a way that made obvious the fact that he believed that the second figure was following him. The second figure, however, was what really caught my attention. He didn't seem to be making much of an effort to be gaining on the object of his prey, simply matching the other's speed. Still, that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the _way _he was walking. The simple grace of the movement would be unattainable to anything human.

_Shit,_ I thought as I dashed across the road towards the soon-to-be victim. I knew I was not thinking rationally, but I wasn't going to stand by and let some innocent stranger be killed. I grabbed his arm and pushed him down the nearest alley. I pointed for him to run while I planned to wait for the predator. I noticed that he didn't even begin to object, and a small part of me wondered what kind of man would leave someone like me, a young girl, to fight off what I knew was coming. However, before he made it anywhere, the vampire was upon us.

I stepped in front of the man and again he made to run. Thankfully, he made it out of the alley and continued on without a scratch on him. Suddenly, though, I felt myself being forcefully shoved against the wall of the alleyway.

Finally I forced my eyes defiantly up to those of my captor.

My jaw dropped at the vibrant red eyes staring back.

Before I could even consider the repercussions of my actions my palm came up and slapped him across the face as hard as I could manage without shattering any bones.

"Jasper, you ass!"

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**A/N: Please review! Were you expecting that? Did you like her reaction? Let me know. Again, this chapter is one that was posted by the original author, I did make a few corrections on words but nothing else was changed.**


	3. Chapter 3

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Three (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

My heart rate was slowly falling as the adrenalin left my system. My arm lay limply at my side and I flexed my hand to make sure it was still functional. It throbbed slightly, but I could tell it wasn't broken. I couldn't help but to think sadly back to Jake— well, this wasn't the first time I had hit a supernatural being.

"Is there a reason you're terrorizing the city?" I hissed. Suddenly it dawned on me— if Jasper was here, were all the Cullens? I could feel my stomach drop, Edward had promised I would never have to see him again and it was a promise I had been hoping he'd keep. It would be too painful to see them all and know that they did not miss me at all.

I finally pulled myself back together enough to look up at him. I hadn't seen a vampire in years and the strength of Jasper's beauty hit me harder than Edwards ever had. I shook my head slightly to clear it and noticed he was smirking at me slightly, causing me to roll my eyes at him.

"Bella, you need to leave Seattle. It's not safe for ya here." He said stiffly.

I couldn't help it. I snorted at him in a rather unladylike manner. "Since when do the Cullens care about my safety? Edward told me I would never have to see any of you again, but what? You guys show up and start killing people in the city that I live in?" Towards the end my voice had turned hard and cold, no emotions showing through. I had learned a long time ago how to build this specific mask and had the skill mastered.

He was frowning at me, and quite frankly, I didn't give a shit.

"The Cullens aren't here; I left their coven years ago."

"So you've been killing that many people on your own?" My voice faltered slightly and I cleared my throat.

"No, I only got here two days ago. Actually, none of those were my victims." I realized that as he was talking he had leaned forward and was running his nose along my jaw. The rational part of my mind reminded me that his red eyes meant that he was drinking human blood now and that I had interrupted his hunt— which meant that he was probably very thirsty and I was the closest meal. I also remembered that his eyes had been a vibrant red, not the black that I had come to associate with their thirst, which was odd. The rest of my mind, however, was enjoying the gentle touch and the flames it seemed to elicit. The chills that had run down my back earlier with fear had been replaced with those of pleasure.

"You smell delicious, Bella; like vanilla and lavender." His voice had grown husky and I noticed the undercurrents of a southern accent which I had never heard before. Not knowing how to respond, we stood there for a few moments; me leaning against the wall, Jasper leaning against me with his face buried in my neck.

"If you're planning on draining me, can we get it over with? I've had a long day." I grumbled. Currently, I couldn't find it in me to care about the strange circumstances. Between hardly getting any sleep last night and my energy crash that always comes after my caffeine wears off I was exhausted.

I felt him smirk against my skin before he drew back to look down at me. "Darlin', you have the worst sense of self preservation I have ever seen." He chuckled and I just yawned as he stepped away from me. Stretching my arms above my head, I turned to leave the alley and finally return home.

"Where do ya live?" He asked from beside me, apparently I was still used to the odd grace and silence with which vampires walked because I didn't even jump at the sudden voice next to me.

"Down the street," I answered, knowing that if I didn't he could just follow me there anyway. I paused and turned to him suddenly, "What are you doing in Seattle, anyway?" I asked skeptically.

He just stared down at me from his impressive height, and I could tell that he wasn't going to answer me here.

"Fine," I sighed, "Follow me."

I had no idea what had possessed me to invite him to my apartment, but I wanted answers. What was going on here that was so dangerous? I was just about positive that it was a vampire's doing, in fact I think a small piece of me had known that as soon as I'd heard about the first killing. But what made it specifically dangerous to _me_?

As we walked I felt his arm wind itself around my waist protectively. It felt oddly natural, as if he had done it tons of times despite the fact that he was the one member of the Cullens, or former member rather, that I had never spent any time with outside the customary 'hello' and 'goodbye.' I leaned into him slightly without thinking and he in turn gave me a light, comforting squeeze. I wrote it off to my exhaustion.

Minutes later we were standing outside the door to my apartment so I took out the keys and let us in. He followed me inside and sat down when I motioned to the couch in my living room. I made a quick stop in my kitchen to find something to eat, remembering with slight annoyance that I hadn't gone grocery shopping in over a week so I probably wouldn't find much. Standing in front of my open fridge, I found a container of yogurt and decided that it would do for now. I returned to where I had left Jasper to find him lounging comfortably, seemingly without a care in the world. But only _seemingly_, because I could see in the set of his shoulders and the purse of his lips that he was filled with tension.

I sighed and kicked off my shoes before turning and sitting Indian style on the end opposite Jasper, facing him. He slowly opened his eyes and angled himself slightly towards me.

"So," I paused, trying to think of something to say to this vampire whom I hadn't seen in five years. I thought back to him saying that he was no longer with the Cullens and another thought jumped in to my head. "Why did you leave the Cullens?" For some reason, I felt as though it were more than just his eye color.

"It was time," he said simply. "I had always known that it wasn't permanent, and I had no plans of stickin' to that diet for the rest of my existence."

"What about Alice?" I whispered, wondering how she had taken that. I remembered the last time I saw her, when Edward had taken me in to the forest and we had met her there. Together they had told me about how little my existence had affected them and how none of them would miss me. I hadn't mattered to them then and I didn't matter to them now. My stomach rolled uncomfortably and I put the yogurt aside, having lost my appetite. If Alice was somewhere waiting for Jasper, then he could go. I didn't want anything to do with them.

He seemed to notice the change in my mood and reached out to sweep away some of the hair that I had allowed to fall in front of my eyes. I locked my jaw to keep from leaning in to the comforting touch; I swear to god that something is wrong with me.

"Alice and I are no longer together." He had said her name almost like a curse.

"I thought you two were mates?" I asked confusion and curiosity coloring my facial features.

"The Cullens thought so, too." He smiled amused. "Alice was tryin' to make me believe it as well, but I had known from the beginning that we were not meant for each other. I was gettin' sick of Alice using her visions to corrupt the future in to what she wanted it to be. She was just a stepping stone to get me going in the direction of finding my actual mate and it was time to move on."

"How did you know that she would lead you to your mate?" I asked; my curiosity of this man who I hardly knew growing.

"Friends," He shrugged nonchalantly, giving nothing else away. I sighed and moved on to another question.

"Why are you in Seattle?"

"I could feel in your emotions that you weren't surprised to see a vampire, so I know that you could tell that those killings weren't random."

"I had my suspicions," I agreed.

"Not the best idea to interrupt a thirsty vampire's hunt." He commented.

I nodded, "I wasn't going to let an innocent man be killed when there was something I could do to stop it."

"So much loyalty to someone you had never even met?" He seemed surprised.

"No, not really." He raised an eyebrow at me. "I wasn't trying to get myself killed or anything, the adrenaline just went to my head." I yawned again.

He made a small snorting noise and rolled his eyes at me. "You should be more cautious. You may not have wanted to get killed, but sometimes it's hard for even the most experienced vampire to stop mid-hunt."

"Did you stop so easily because you weren't that thirsty?" I asked, recalling his eye color.

"Something like that," He supplied, frowning.

I shrugged, "If I made you lose your appetite, while slightly offended, I think I'll get over it."

He smirked at me before commenting thoughtfully, "I'm not sure that's it."

"Don't you feel bad about killing innocent people?" I asked quietly, while I was curious I wasn't sure I could judge him for choosing his natural diet. Circle of life or something like that, right? Yup, I was way too tired.

"What makes you so sure he was innocent?"

"That's not an answer," I muttered, but I quickly recalled the events of the night. An honest, innocent, decent man would not have left a girl to fight his battle. He would not have run to save himself, but to help others. Or, at the very least, a good man would not have left me alone and instead would have tried to force me to run with him. Instead that man left me to a beast. It was just dumb luck that I knew said beast and managed to come out alive. I should be dead, and it would have been all his fault. What a jackass.

When he didn't elaborate I again realized how tired I was. I had only gotten about three hours of sleep the night before and it was already eleven. I _needed_ sleep. But before I could make myself stand up, a question popped in to my mind that I couldn't leave until after I rested.

"Who killed all those people?"

Jasper froze, his eyes flashing with an emotion that I couldn't define. His voice was hard and rough as he answered me, "Someone is tryin' to build a newborn army."

An _army_? I would have to ask about that when I was less incoherent due to sleep deprivation, though somehow the idea felt familiar.

"Is that why you came— to stop them?"

A frown turned the corners of his lips and he honestly did not seem to have an answer to that. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a quiet sigh. "I'm not sure why we're here, Darlin'."

_We_?

"Did you just decide to take a little vacation to Seattle?" I questioned, not sure what he had meant by his response.

He seemed like he was about to explain something when suddenly he snapped his jaw shut and looked me in the eyes. "Not quite, but I'll explain that another time; I can see the circles under your eyes. You need to go to sleep." Well, I couldn't argue with that.

"Agreed," I said on a yawn while standing up, intent on making my way to my bedroom before I turned around. "When will I see you again?" I assumed that he would leave to continue his hunt as soon as I was out of sight.

"I'm gonna stay here tonight, Darlin'. I don't want anyone coming in here and tryin' to snack on ya while you're catching up on sleep." He said it with more authority than I had ever heard before and it left no room for disagreement. I just shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

After a nice hot shower I jumped in to some yoga pants and a ratty old shirt that was much too large for me. There was nothing more comfortable. I finally lay down, expecting to pass out as soon as my body made contact with the mattress but unfortunately, that did not happen. As soon as there were no more distractions my mind was left reeling with everything that had happened throughout the course of the day. I now knew who, or rather what, was behind the murders, I had run into Jasper, and I had gotten absolutely no information out of him— though that was mostly my fault for being so sleep deprived. On top of all that, there was a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, so faint that I almost couldn't decipher the sensation. A tugging, perhaps?

I started tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable before deciding that it was a lost cause and standing from my bed. Walking out to the living room, I found Jasper where I had left him except with a book in his hands— he must have borrowed one from my bookshelf. I retook my place on the couch as he looked up at me.

"Is it okay if I turn on the TV?" I asked, nodding to the book in his hands after retrieving the remote from the coffee table.

"It's your apartment, Darlin'. Couldn't sleep?"

I nodded my head and sighed as the television booted itself up. The news was on and I put the volume down as low as possible but so that I could still hear it. Not long afterward, I felt my eyes getting heavy and before I could force myself up and into my bedroom, darkness surrounded me. I felt my body slump slightly as all muscle control failed. My last thought was that there was nothing more comfortable than where I was laying and the tingling sensation on my cheek radiating off of whatever had become my makeshift pillow.

But I just wrote that off to the exhaustion.

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**A/N: Review and tell me what you think? Again I only changed a few spelling mistakes, with the exception of Jasper's description of her smell.**


	4. Chapter 4

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Four (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

(Jasper's Point of View)

I looked down at Bella's sleeping form; somehow she had managed to find a pillow in the form of my shoulder and for some reason I had allowed it. Turning my attention back to the book in my hands, I realized that my eyes refused to digest the words on the page when there was this beautiful human girl right next to me.

Shifting slightly, I maneuvered her so that her head was instead on my chest and my arm was free to lie along her side. Her heat enveloped me in a warm embrace and I was shocked by how simply _good_ it felt. Never had I experienced a feeling even close. Isabella had changed, that much was obvious. In the past five years she had developed exponentially and it suited her. Not only had she gained an inch or two of height, her body had taken on a sensual hourglass shape that frankly left me surprised that she was still left to live alone in her apartment.

Not to mention her actions. Very few humans would be brave enough to try and save another member of their race from death, or slap a thirsty vampire across the face. I don't think that most humans would be insane enough either, let alone become a little aroused by it. I could still feel a slight tingling on my cheek from where her palm had made contact and the perfume of her excitement on my nose. Despite the lust, I knew that if it had been anyone else to disrespect me so, they would have been dead on the spot.

That thought left me reeling for two reasons. The first one: I did not like the idea of anyone or anything harming Isabella— not even myself. That led to the second reason: why did this insignificant girl's life suddenly matter to me at all? I had hardly known her when she had been with Edward and now I couldn't seem to pull myself away. It had been torture walking back to her apartment next to her and being able to offer little more than a protective arm around her waist. The sounds that she was clueless to, however, had been rattling around my head. The distant sound of vampire limbs being torn from their torsos and the anguished cries of the newborns had not only proven to me how close the danger was to this vulnerable girl, but also how close Peter and Charlotte were. I could only hope that they had taken out a good few after we had gotten them separated.

Even now, though, I was allowing her to be in such close contact with me— something that I allowed of very few. I tried to convince myself that the reason I had moved her from my shoulder to my chest was to prevent a stiff neck that would surely come from the awkward position, but I recognized my lies for what they were. Instead, I wrote it off to my selfishness. I was simply unwilling to give up not only her alluring warmth, but her tempting scent.

Only, her scent was not tempting in the same way as the blood of other humans.

I felt a small vibration against my leg and fished my cell from the pocket of my jeans.

"Havin' fun, Fucker?" Peter laughed from the other end of the line.

I felt a growl escape from my chest at the knowing quality of his voice. "Is she why we're here? Not because of the newborns that are fuckin' with Seattle?" I kept my voice quiet enough so as not to wake Isabella, and again I wondered why the hell I cared.

At the sound of my growl, he shut up— smart of him. I was on edge enough; Pete provoking me would only give me an excuse to use a fight as a bit of stress relief.

"I didn't know until now, honest." He pouted, and I rolled my eyes. "But either way, I think there's more to it."

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean that we need to find out the who and why of this newborn army that's bein' thrown together— the leader is obviously very inexperienced. Damn, I bet this is what it woulda' looked like for the Bitch if she hadn't had you around." My growl was harsher this time as the memories started to come to the forefront of my mind. Bella shifted slightly and seemed to curl closer despite the sound that had been resonating from my chest. She was offering me comfort even in her sleep, and surprisingly, I was not turning it away.

"How many did you kill and how many were there in total?" I demanded after a short silence, needing to get some of the information straight in my head so that I could start forming a strategy of some kind.

"We got five, there were eight left before they got away." He finally came to his senses and was talking in a voice that meant business.

"By the escalatin' violence, we can only assume that they will be replaced quickly. Now that they know that someone's plannin' on endin' their little tirade, even more will most likely be changed in preparation for battle." My accent was getting heavier as the beast struggled to get out, wanting to take care of this little problem on its own. I ran a hand through my hair, pausing to get a hold of it. "We need more information, to know who we're up against." I finally agreed with him.

"D'ya want Char and I to go out an' try to get one for questionin' later?" He asked, though he seemed reluctant.

"Not tonight, you and Char go hunt and try to relax a little. I don't what you guys goin' back out for them without me there." There was so much authority in my tone that it left absolutely no room for argument, unless he wanted to lose an arm or two later for putting me in a bad mood.

"Yes sir," He said simply, "and have fun with the human, tell Sweat Pea I said 'howdy.'" I could practically hear the smug smile over the phone but the line cut off before I had time to respond.

I tossed the phone silently up and down in my right hand while my left arm was still securely around her. I was mulling over the information I had gained from Peter when I noticed the soft snores leaving her slightly parted lips and the pure serenity she radiated.

I had been beyond confused by her reaction to me.

From the first moment I had seen her in that alley just a few short hours ago, I had done little that would make a rational human trust me. I had practically pounced on her right then and there, and she had let me. I had no reason that she knew of to be holding her as I walked her home, yet she allowed me to do so. Hell, she had not even really seemed to care when I had stated that I would be spending the night here— and I would have even if she had objected. For some reason, it mattered to me if a newborn came in here and killed her.

Beyond that, humans are supposed to naturally shy away from vampires as a rule. I had always known that the girl had something wrong with her in that department, but I had simply thought that she had been overruling her baser instincts due to her fascination with our race. In sleep, however, there is nothing to keep the baser instincts from showing through— that is why I found it so strange that she could be curled up next to me in such a deep sleep that I wasn't sure what it would take to pull her back in to consciousness.

The longer I sat there enveloped in her delicious heat, the less I ever wanted to leave it.

However, the longer I sat there, the more time I had to come up with questions. What had Bella been doing since the Cullens left Forks? Had she gone to college? What was her job now? Then there were questions to aim at Pete. What was going on with the her? Why was she so desensitized to the supernatural? Why did I feel the constant need to be around her, despite the fact that we had only been in contact with each other for going on six hours? Did he know anything else that he should tell me?

A few other thoughts occurred to me, such as the fact that I needed Isabella out of Seattle as soon as possible. Otherwise I most likely wouldn't leave her side, and seeing as how it was supposed to be sunny on Monday, I think it would cause a bit of a scene on her way to work. I didn't care if I had to drag her kicking and screaming, not when it came to her safety. If need be, I would assign Char as her guard dog until Pete and I had the whole situation under control.

My instincts told me it was more than a mere coincidence that a newborn army was being built in the same city that Bella currently resided. And I didn't like it.

She shifted in her sleep, bringing me out of my musings. I knew that I could easily drive myself insane if I didn't quite the strategy thinking soon.

Instead, I allowed her emotions to overcome me. Her deep seeded serenity mixed with little bits of contentment clued me in that if nothing else, she was having a pleasant dream. As the emotions slowly sunk in to my awareness, my muscles began to relax just as hers were. My eyelids began to droop and I allowed myself to bask in her feelings though I kept my senses trained on my surroundings, unable to force myself to trust them with her life.

Slowly, I began retreating in to a near catatonic state— as close to sleep as any vampire could ever get. It was nice, peaceful.

Time began to pass more quickly without my notice. It must have been similar to how humans could go to sleep and wake up hours later with absolutely no clue as to what happened while they were out. The vulnerability was a bit unsettling and so, finally, I forced her emotions to the back of my mind where I usually perceived them. If nothing else, that had been the most serene three hours of my life.

I forced my eyes to open and focus easily on that small clock; it read 8:55. I could only hope that the seven hours of sleep she had managed to salvage would help her with catching up on the sleep that she obviously hadn't had a great amount of over the past couple of days. Looking down at her once again, I couldn't help but to compare her appearance to that of an angel. Her pale skin made her red lips stand out remarkably and her long brown hair was cascaded down her rather petite frame.

Suddenly, I heard a soft knocking on the door of the entrance to her apartment. Frowning, I slowly raised myself from the couch and slid a pillow under Isabella's head to replace my body. I wasn't quite ready to wake her up from such a peaceful state when in the one she would be returning to she would once again be faced with the dangers of being associated with vampires; even if she hadn't been in years.

Before pulling open the door, I caught the soft fragrance of a small human female. Her scent reminded me of the fact that I hadn't hunted the night before and I prepared myself before opening the door and facing the full force of her aroma. I needed to hunt; hopefully I could do so today while the sun was out, though I would still assign a guard dog.

When I did, she stared up at me with wide eyes and a blush slowly forming on her cheeks.

"I-is Bella here?" She stuttered slightly, the blush becoming more pronounced and beginning to make her resemble a tomato. I felt a small wave of lust from the girl and fought to keep from rolling my eyes.

"She's still asleep," I supplied stiffly.

Her jaw dropped slightly before we both froze at a sound coming from the living room.

"Jasper?" Bella's voice called, rough with sleep. I turned slightly so that I could see her when she rounded the corner in to the small hallway that connected the two areas. "What are you doing out he—" She cut herself off when she caught sight of who was standing on the other side of the door.

A soft rose colored blush dyed her cheeks; it was the most attractive sight I had ever laid my eyes upon.

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**A/N: So what did you think? Again, I only changed spelling, a few words but nothing really changed, in the story.**


	5. Chapter 5

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Five (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

(Bella's Point of View)

My eyes went wide at the sight of Ashlyn standing outside the door. Fuck, I had forgotten about breakfast and it must have already reached the time of nine o'clock. I quickly shifted my eyes to Jasper, both relieved and panicked at the fact that his eyes had darkened to the point of their original color being unrecognizable. While it was a relief to see the vibrant red gone simply because it would mean one less question from my friend, it also meant that he was awfully thirsty.

The awkward silence seemed to drag on, both of them obviously waiting for me to break it. I was glancing between the two of them nervously, shifting my weight from foot to foot. Jasper looked amused by my discomfort though seemed like he was about to save me when someone beat him to it.

"Bella!" Ashlyn squeaked, a look of false betrayal on her face. "Just yesterday you propose to me, and now I find you with him?" She made a dramatic sweeping motion in Jasper's direction.

God, this is why I love this girl.

I noticed Jasper's shocked and confused expression as Ashlyn turned to wink at me so that he couldn't see. Thoroughly amused and relieved at her distraction, I followed along with her theatrics.

"It was a mistake, I swear it!" I responded, before falling to my knees in front of her; I was going overboard and I knew. But I didn't care, I was enjoying myself. "Please forgive me, my love!"

"Bella, I don't think I could ever trust you again." She shook her head sadly with a sigh.

"Fine, be that way." I said flippantly, standing back up and turning to walk in to the kitchen. I could feel Jasper's eyes following me and I could hear Ashlyn's feet padding along behind me.

I turned around and watched as Ashlyn walked past me, an amused smirk gracing her delicate features. Jasper moved forward as well and stopped about three feet in front of me.

"What the hell was that about?" He asked lowly so that Ashlyn wouldn't hear him.

I snickered softly, "That was a great friend saving me from an incredibly awkward situation." I sighed, "I forgot she asked me to have breakfast with her this morning. You might want to go hunt, your eyes are pitch black," I paused, wondering if I should let him know the 'big news' I would be forced to discuss with Ashlyn for the next hour, but also wondering why he hadn't questioned the idea of us sleeping together which had obviously been insinuated by my friend's comments.

I ran a tired hand down my face, "You realize that I am going to have to spend the rest of my morning being drilled by Ashlyn about last night." I groaned quietly and Jasper smirked at me, I could tell by the glint in his dark eyes that he knew I was talking about sex.

He leaned down, similarly to how he had last night in that alley, and ran his nose along my jaw until his lips were at my ear, "I'm sure you'll keep her thoroughly entertained, Darlin'."

My breath caught and my eyes flew up to meet his as he pulled back and he winked at me. He turned around and left my apartment. I tried not to think about the fact that I had basically just given him permission to go and drain a few innocent people— wait, not necessarily _innocent_, I reminded myself. I took a deep breath to steady myself before meeting Ashlyn where she was sitting at my kitchen table.

"Give me a second," I said, gesturing to my body which was still clad in my pajamas. I could hear her snickering behind my back and I couldn't help but to flick her off over my shoulder— that only made her laugh louder. When I finally looked presentable in my skinny jeans and converse, I returned to her at the table. I enjoyed the weekend, being free to dress in jeans as opposed to the dressy trousers I had to wear to work each day.

"Hey, you ready to go?" I asked, wanting to get in public before she could start her questioning rampage in the hopes that she would be forced to keep it PG.

She started to refuse, a large grin on her face, but before she could start in I grabbed her hand and began pulling.

"Hungry!" I complained, making her laugh and also forcing her to give in. I smiled to myself, finally leaving the apartment and leading her to the small café across the street. We sat down quickly at one of the small tables that were situated outside, taking advantage of the beautiful day.

"Hello, ladies. My name is Tyler and I will be serving you today. Do you know what you would like to order?" Having been here a million times, we both ordered quickly. Ashlyn asked for an egg white omelet and a large coffee, while I requested baked oatmeal and a bottle of water. I was still all coffee-ed out from the day before. Finally, we were left alone. My friend turned to me, a wicked smile gracing her features, and I shrunk back in my chair.

"Why didn't you tell me that you had some sexy man-god at your disposal, I would have stopped setting you up with guys months ago!" She just about shouted. For some reason, Ashlyn calling Jasper sexy hit some kind of nerve. I had to force myself not to glare at her. Was I really jealous when I didn't even have any kind of relationship with him? We had never had the brother-sister relationship that Emmett and I had once had, and beyond that, I didn't really know him at all.

"No," I shook my head, forcing out a light laugh. "It's honestly not like that. I just ran into him last night; I knew him back when I lived in Forks and—"

"— and you just so happened to invite him home with you and you guys had some wild sex?" She finished my sentence. That was not what I had been planning to say, and I told her as much.

"Oh, please Bella! Then what did happen? Did you two sleep together or not?" She sounded exasperated that I was even trying to suggest that I hadn't had sex with him the night before, even though I hadn't.

That, however, was a complicated question. While we hadn't slept together in the sense she was talking about, I was pretty sure somewhere throughout the night Jasper had ended up acting as my pillow— the best pillow I had ever been blessed to use.

"Uh, kind of?" I really wasn't sure how to answer her.

Ashlyn raised her eyebrows, wanting more information that I honestly didn't have.

"I slept wonderfully," I supplied dryly, letting her make of that what she would. I knew that she wouldn't take it for what it was— the actual fact that I had finally caught up on a few hours of sleep.

She beamed at me, before finally getting in to some easier questions.

"So what's mystery man's name?" she questioned.

"Jasper," I said simply. Now that he had left the Cullens, I couldn't be sure what his last name was. Originally I had known it to be Hale, but that had belonged to Rosalie and he had just been borrowing it.

"How old is he?"

I was pretty sure he had been changed when he was twenty, but instead I went with the age that I had known Jasper Hale to be.

"He's a year older than me; I met him in high school." I supplied just as breakfast was served, successfully distracting us from the conversation. I was thankful. As I watched Ashlyn begin to devour her omelet the feeling of being watched came back, though it was not nearly as bad as the last time. Previously I had felt like I was being stalked like prey, now I could just feel eyes on me. I sat up straighter and glanced around the street. I had been extremely tired last night and couldn't remember all that Jasper and I had talked about, though I was pretty sure we hadn't talked about much, I remembered something about newborns.

I was pretty sure that even a newborn wouldn't be dumb enough to try something in the daylight at a crowded café, but at the same time, they were known for being uncontrollable. Suddenly, I wished that I had never sent Jasper away to hunt. I wanted him back, I felt so protected when he was around. It was a feeling that I couldn't even explain to myself.

"Oooooh, are you daydreaming about Jasper?" Ashlyn inquired with a light laugh. I knew she was only joking so my only reply was a smile a roll of the eyes.

We were both finished with our meals a few moments later, and after paying our bill we stood up to leave.

"Don't think that this conversation is over, Missy. I still can't believe you cheated on me." She pouted, but I could tell by the tone of her voice that she had gotten it out of her system. She was done prying, and honestly, she had gone easy on me.

We both laughed before hugging our goodbye and walking in different directions. However, a second after she had turned, I had stopped to watch her retreating form. I wasn't sure what I would do if something happened to her, but I was pretty sure that in that moment I felt the same way Charlie used to when dropping me off at a friend's house; the intense need to watch your loved one make it to safety before abandoning them. When she finally made it to her car, she waved and then peeled out.

I sighed, still feeling uncomfortable about Jasper's absence, the slight tug in my abdomen that I had felt last night while trying to sleep, and now the terrible feeling of being watched, though it wasn't nearly as unpleasant as it had been the other day. I made it inside my apartment complex and as I was climbing the stairs to the sixth floor a god awful realization just about slapped me across the face.

The feeling hadn't disappeared upon my entrance to the apartment. My heart rate spiked and adrenaline pumped through my veins, pushing me up the flights of stairs faster in the hopes of out running the danger that was sure to be following me. I, of course, knew that not only would it be impossible to out run the vampire on my tail, but that my physical reaction was only serving to make my scent all the more alluring. I finally made it to the door to my apartment and looked around nervously as I searched for my keys. Eventually I found them located in my back pocket and clumsily tried to dislodge the lock. I busted through the door as soon as I had the chance, my breath leaving me in bursts.

I felt helpless, I felt alone, and I fucking hated it.

Glaring at nothing and feeling a little pathetic for freaking out when I really didn't even know if there was in fact a vampire following me, I slammed the door closed with as much power as I could muster up as I turned away.

I froze in place. The door hadn't banged against the door frame as it should have. I closed my eyes for just a second, taking a deep and calming breath, before turning on my heel to face whatever had stopped my door mid-slam.

All I could see were five unnaturally pale fingers curled around the edge of the thick wooden door. Slowly the owner of those fingers pushed the door open to reveal himself— standing at a height just an inch or so shorter than Jasper though built slightly thicker stood a red-eyed vampire. His short dirty blond hair did little to distract me from the crazy smirk that littered his lips.

"Well howdy there Sweet Pea!" The smirk morphed in to a giant grin.

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**A/N: Gee, wonder who that is ;) Please review and tell me what you think of this so far! Again, nothing changed except a few words.**


	6. Chapter 6

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Six (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

A small frown came to my face, all fear swiftly forgotten. He had the same exact accent as Jasper, I noticed. In fact, they looked rather similar, though this guy had this whole aura of whack job about him. I couldn't help it, the longer I stared at the vampire's face the more I felt my own lips twitching. Suddenly, a laugh ripped through me breaking the silence and therefore sounding a lot louder than it actually was.

"I don't even care if you came here to kill me," I gasped out between poorly contained cackles, "Who calls their next meal, 'Sweet Pea?'"

"Awe damn, Peter, you broke the human!" A petite female vampire came trotting through my door and smacked him on the back of the head. "What the hell did I miss?" She asked, I could tell that she wasn't actually upset but instead was thoroughly amused.

"I didn't do nothin', I swear!" Peter exclaimed, looking alarmed— which only sent me in to another round of hysterical giggles.

He frowned at me, apparently thinking that I was actually broken. He went to take a step towards me and the laughs died on my lips. I jerked back, narrowing my eyes at him and causing Peter to stop in his tracks. Both of their irises were a vibrant burgundy, which alerted me to the fact that at the very least they weren't newborns. That didn't make them any less dangerous, however. They could just as easily kill me and probably drag it out a little longer too.

"What do you want?" I asked lowly, because obviously they realized that I knew what they were. After all, I had just made a comment about being their next meal and they hadn't even blinked.

"Oh, don't ya worry, Sugar." The woman said, "We're here to serve as your watch dogs." She smirked and gave me a wink.

Watch dog? What the hell were they talking about? Looking back and forth between them, I sighed.

"Okay, Whack Jobs, what the hell are you two talking about?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, Peter had me caught up in a near bone crushing hug forcing all the air from my lungs.

"I knew we'd like ya, Sweet Pea!" He just about shouted and if I hadn't been in his arms he most likely would have been doing a bit of a happy dance. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes, though I also had to keep myself from grinning along with him. I could easily see myself getting along with these two vampires, but I still didn't really know their purpose for being here.

"Put me down," I gasped, "I can't breathe!"

"Shit, sorry." He dropped me and I just barely caught myself from falling to the floor.

I sent him a halfhearted glare and he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"You almost really did break the human that time." I grumbled, getting a laugh from the both of them. "Okay, so you're my watch dogs, right? What does that mean? I don't have to play fetch with you or something, do I?"

"Not quite," Peter barked out a laugh— how ironic, but he didn't elaborate.

"Alright, pups, care to introduce yourselves then? You seem to know who I am." I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"My name is Charlotte Whitlock and this here is Peter," She gave me a sweet smile, her gorgeous face lighting up. "Friends and family call me Char, and now that includes you, Sugar."

"Why?" I asked, surprise coloring my voice and furrowing my brow.

"Can't tell ya that, Bella; ya gotta get there on your own." Peter grinned at me and I frowned.

"He ain't gonna tell ya, Sug. Don't waste your breath on 'im." Char chuckled and rolled her eyes, so obviously in love with her mate.

"Hey, my knower told me not to tell 'er." He grumbled.

"What do you mean, your 'knower'? Do you have a gift?" I asked curiously.

"Nah, I ain't got no gift. I just know shit." He said, as though that explanation made complete sense.

I sighed, how had my life which had been near vampire free for the past five years suddenly become saturated with them? First running in to Jasper last night, finding out about the newborns, and now these two wackos all showing up at random; I had thought I was finally done. Apparently I wasn't, and apparently I wouldn't be getting the reason for it out of wacko número uno. I turned to walk in to my living room, knowing that I needn't tell them to follow because I knew they wouldn't leave. I could not hear the two following but I knew that fact didn't mean much. After all, when could I hear if a vampire was following me?

I pointed at the couch, "Sit," I commanded and could help the smirk at the realization that I was treating them like the dogs they had said they were acting as. "Stay."

As I turned to walk in to my bedroom, I heard a dog bark and assumed that it was Peter. I laughed when I heard the resounding _whack_ that must have been Charlotte smacking him in the back of the head. _Go Char!_ I mentally cheered, chuckling to myself. Something about those two made it impossible not to like them. Finally, I went to my closet and pulled out my suitcase. Just because I was experiencing a vampire ambush didn't mean that I planned on ditching my weekend with Charlie. After pulling out a few pairs of jeans, a few shirts, and everything else I would need I turned to the bathroom to collect my toiletries.

Upon returning to my bedroom, I haphazardly stuffed in my belongings before forcing the zipper shut. It was already 10:30 and with traffic it would likely take me around four hours to make it to Charlie. I wanted to leave soon, but I knew that I still needed to talk to Peter and Charlotte.

Sighing, I returned to them with my luggage in tow seeing that they hadn't moved from where I had left them. Both of their eyes drifted over my bag and then landed on my face. I sat down on the loveseat across from the two of them, before finally just getting it out.

"So why are you two here?" I asked.

"We told ya, Sugar. We're watching you." Char replied, looking as though I should be wearing a helmet and riding the short bus.

I sighed, being taken in by a memory from the life I used to live. Back when the Cullens used to take turns 'Bella-Sitting'. My stomach churned uncomfortably and I shifted in my seat, my eyes falling to my hands. I wasn't going to let that shit happen again. I wasn't some broken doll, when I fall I get back up. I don't need help and I don't need someone to catch me. I was resilient. My eyes met theirs, a glare in place. They seemed surprised by my reaction.

"Why?" I hissed.

Peter was frowning; I guess his knower hadn't seen this coming. His head tilted to the side, obviously reading my face. I quickly ducked my head, but I could tell that he had already seen it. I wasn't just angry that I didn't know why they were watching me, I was angry that they thought I needed to be watched. I was angry that I was not strong enough to make them leave just like I hadn't been strong enough to make the Cullens stay all those years ago.

I shook my head, those emotions were old and reoccurring but I didn't actually feel them anymore. Actually, I was happy that they had left when they did. Edward's and my relationship had not been a healthy one and I was in far too deep. He had not loved me and I had never been his 'mate'. Quite frankly, I even realized that I hadn't been in love with him. I had been fascinated by someone who I couldn't understand and I had been dazzled to the point of insanity. Edward and I hadn't loved each other; it just took much longer than it should have for me to realize it.

"Well?" I asked, an eyebrow raised as I looked Peter in the eyes.

"Guess we should formally introduce ourselves, huh Char?" His eyes never left mine though he wasn't addressing me. She nodded from beside him. "How much do you know about Jasper's past?" He questioned me.

Well at least that answered why they all seemed to have the same southern twang. I thought back to the short conversation that I had once had with Edward about Jasper.

"I know that his vampire life didn't start out easy," I drew my eyebrows together; it seemed like forever since I had conversed with Edward. I had not allowed myself to think about him for so long that the memory seemed a little fuzzy. Suddenly, it cleared up and I remembered why the idea of a newborn army had felt so familiar. "Something about a newborn army in the south," I finally said, I couldn't elaborate because Edward never had.

"That would be correct," Charlotte said quietly, I noticed that they both stiffened slightly at them mention of an army.

"That's where we met Jasper," Peter supplied; it was odd to see someone who seemed to be so happy all the time so solemn. "He allowed me and Char to escape even though he would be punished for it. We came back for him years later and we've been a family ever since."

I wanted to ask more about Jasper's past, but I knew that I needed it straight from the horse's mouth. I would have to ask him some other time.

"So Jasper asked you to watch me?" I was no longer angry, but he was going to get a piece of my mind the next time I saw him. How dare he send two vampires that I didn't know to watch me without even giving me a heads up.

"Yup," Char said with a grin, popping the _p_. "But we woulda' anyway, Sugar. You're family."

"That dick," I grumbled under my breath and the two of them busted out laughing. Suddenly something occurred to me; I now knew who had been watching me today, but what about yesterday? I didn't think it was Jasper, when I stopped him from draining that man he had not seemed to expect to see me in the city.

"Were you two watching me yesterday, too?" I asked, a frown adorning my lips.

"No. Why do ya ask, Sweet Pea?" Pete said, a similar frown stealing his smile along with Char's.

"When I was at breakfast today I had felt like someone was watching me. Now I know it was you, but yesterday I went to lunch and I could feel myself being stalked." A small chill ran the course of my spine. "When I looked around, I didn't see anyone but that's not too surprising considering that there are vampires in the area." I paused, looking between the two of them. I could see the fury in their eyes and shifted uncomfortably, a little surprised that I felt no fear of them. "Do you think the newborns are stalking me?" I whispered.

There was a loud crash behind me and I jumped up, spinning around quickly. I noticed that neither of the vampires behind me had moved an inch. The door to my apartment had been torn from its hinges and was lying on the ground surrounded by the dust from the drywall.

Jasper was suddenly standing there, and for the first time since he had left that morning, that small tugging sensation disappeared and I felt content. My eyes met his and I was shocked by the amount of anger in them. They were pitch-black, though no longer with thirst. The flames dancing behind them were those of rage. He came storming forward and grabbed Peter by the collar of his shirt. Both he and Char had taken on submissive positions.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He hissed.

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**A/N: Did you like it? Did you hate it? Did you never want it to end? Still no changes.**


	7. Chapter 7

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Seven (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

"Jasper, wait!" I said, grabbing his arm that had pinned Peter against my living room wall when he had denied knowing that the newborns were after me. Peter's eyes looked at me, wide with worry; though I could tell that the concern was not for himself but for me. He thought that I was about to get myself killed and I wasn't sure if he was too far off. However, for some reason I couldn't bring myself to believe that Jasper would ever try to hurt me. I tugged a little on his arm and he slowly turned his head towards me.

His expression softened slightly when his eye met mine, though he still didn't allow me to tug his arm away from Peter.

"Come on, Peter's _knower_ probably just isn't working right," I mocked Peter lightly, he looked like he wanted to growl but was smart enough not to push his luck with the position he was currently in.

"But look at him, are you really that surprised?" I asked with big, innocent eyes. I heard Charlotte trying to choke back a laugh behind me and saw Peter's annoyed expression, but what I focused on were the two eyes right in front of me which were slowing fading back from black to burgundy.

Finally, he released Peter and pulled me to his chest. His face buried in the crook of my neck, I felt him take a deep breath as his muscles slowly relaxed. I wasn't too sure what was going on or why Jasper was so upset about the fact that a few more vampires wanted to kill me, but suddenly I wondered if he had been feeling the strange tugging in his stomach all day, too. I sighed as his scent invaded my senses and decided to give up on thinking for now. Someone else could do it for me because all I wanted was to relax in the bliss that was Jasper. His strong muscles and long body that seemed to be able to envelope me in the most comforting embrace I had ever felt.

My eyes fell closed and my forehead leaned against his shoulder, completely at ease with the world. He nuzzled slightly closer and suddenly I felt his lips lightly brush against my neck, earning him a gasp from my lips.

Suddenly we heard Charlotte clear her throat awkwardly and I remembered that there were two others in the room with us. I started to pull away and felt Jasper sigh before he did the same. Charlotte was standing in front of Peter a little protectively and I could see the look of amused love on his face at his little hellcat before him. Soon we had all returned to the seats we had taken before Jasper had returned, awkwardness saturating the air.

Pete and Char returned to the couch and Jasper took the place next to me on the loveseat. For some unexplainable reason, I felt the need to either sit on his lap or curl in to his side. Sensing my internal debate, he turned towards me.

Jasper smirked at me.

I stuck out my tongue.

He raised his eyebrow.

I shrugged.

Our silent conversation was loudly interrupted by Peter and Charlotte's laughter, a look of both adoration and awe in their eyes.

"Whack Jobs," I muttered under my breath, fully aware that they all would be able to hear me and earning a light chuckle out of Jasper. "Okay," I finally sighed once the laughs had died down. "What now?"

The atmosphere immediately darkened, Jasper stiffened at my side and he and Peter's eyes met across the room.

"Nothing changes," Jasper's voice was menacing, threatening. "We find out who is creating them and why they seem to want you. Then we get rid of them." The last was spoken with no emotions.

I looked around at them curiously, "Why do you guys even care if they want to kill me?" I asked. "Why would you risk your lives?"

Charlotte looked annoyed, standing up and striding quickly across the open space and crouching down in front of me. "How many times do we gotta' tell ya, Sugar?"

I sighed, already knowing what she was going to say. "Why?" I grumbled before getting up and pacing around my adjoining dining room. "Why am I suddenly _family_?" I noticed Jasper's surprised look, though I couldn't tell if it was because of the fact that I had mentioned being called part of his family, or if it was because of the venom behind the word.

"The last vampire _family_ I had, left me royally screwed over." I felt a small chill as I remembered some of what had happened while they were gone, "I refuse to have to deal with the aftermath again." I growled.

"What happened after we left, Bella?" Jasper asked quietly.

I turned to look at him, noticing the guilty look dancing over his features. I didn't want him to feel bad; it had never been his fault. When he had lunged at me, his eyes hadn't even been dark. I was pretty sure that Edward had been the only true danger at that time and it had passed my mind that Jasper could have been lunging at Edward as opposed to trying to catch a quick meal.

"Don't do that, Jasper," I whispered, shaking my head gently. I walked over to him and placed my hand against his cheek, surprised when I noticed that it wasn't the same smooth texture I was used to.

I chose not to question it. "It wasn't your fault, your eyes weren't even black— not like Edwards."

"What happened?" He reiterated his question.

"I'm not going to tell you that," I whispered, remembering the look that had came to Jacob's face when I had told him the news. I hadn't needed a shoulder to cry on and a voice to comfort me, not someone to feel bad for me— just someone to make me feel better. Stiffly, I added, "I don't like pity, and I won't put up with it."

He frowned, worry clouding his eyes. He was wondering what could have affected me so harshly and no doubt blaming himself.

"And if I see one more guilty look from you, Jasper, I swear to god I am going to snap."

I stood up and walked over to my baggage before grabbing the keys to my truck and my wallet. Before I could make it out the door, I was stopped by Jasper's voice.

"Where are you going?" He asked from right behind me. He seemed to have managed to erase the guilt from his face though the concern remained. I was content with that, so long as he didn't think that what had happened was his fault.

"I'm visiting Charlie," I said simply.

He seemed to think for a moment, deciding if that was a good idea. I hope he realized that no matter what he said, it didn't change the fact that I was going home. Charlie was all I had left and I had been gone for too long.

"I'll meet you there," He finally nodded. For some reason, I was relieved by that. Just the thought of leaving was bringing back that bizarre feeling in the pit of my stomach.

He relieved me of my bag before starting out the door, obviously expecting me to follow. I paused; turning around to shoot a wave at Peter and Char who both still seemed a little shaken and all I could hope was that Peter didn't tell about what had happened if his _knower_ were to alert him to it. They both offered small smiles, seemingly unsure how to react to my little outburst.

"See you soon, Sweet Pea." Peter said quietly. I nodded.

I finally returned to following Jasper out to the garage and my truck, seeing him leaning against the door to my monster. He had already put my bag in the back seat and had been waiting for me. I realized as I reached him that somehow time had been flying by and it was almost noon. I could speed the whole way and be lucky if I made it to Charlie's by quarter 'til four.

Looking up in to his vibrant eyes, I noticed that the red coloring seemed to be swirling rhythmically. For whatever reason, my stomach wasn't churning as it probably should have been at the knowledge of the fact that only human blood caused such a glow.

I wondered if human blood also made vampires appear more attractive, because I had never truly noticed much of Jasper when I had been with the Cullens.

Then again, I had never felt this strange attraction to James, Victoria, or even Char and Peter. I had a feeling that my lack of perception of Jasper's beauty had a whole lot to do with Edward and Alice.

"You know you can't ride in the truck with me, Jasper." I whispered— a small smile on my face at the internal debate I could see flashing across his face.

"My windows are not tinted and I believe that you may attract a good bit of attention."

He nodded his head in agreement though he seemed a little peeved. I am not sure what possessed me to do so, but I crossed the few steps between us and wrapped my arms around his waist. He didn't hesitate as his arms circled me and I took comfort in how perfectly my head seemed to fit in to the crook of his neck.

Eventually, we parted our embrace and he opened the door to my truck for me and allowed me to crawl in.

"What time will I see you?" I asked quietly through my open widow.

I had been so excited to go home and see Charlie, but suddenly I didn't want to be without Jasper. I was growing strangely attached to him despite the fact that I had only been back in contact with him for a day. I knew that was wrong, that I was being pulled back in to a world that was only going to leave me broken but I couldn't seem to get away. What I felt around Jasper was so much different from what I had ever felt before no matter who I was with.

It was so far beyond fascination, beyond curiosity, and beyond infatuation. It was a physical need in the pit of my stomach that I simply couldn't understand, and I found that terrifying.

"I want to do some more looking around the city before I head to Forks, but I will be there as soon as you are. I am going to have Pete and Char follow you home. I don't like that the newborns have taken an interest in you." His voice was cold and steely, all business.

I nodded before part of what he had said sunk in. He was having Peter and Charlotte watch me again; at least I knew this time.

"Jasper," I said, the tone of my voice snapping him out of whatever trance he had fallen in to.

"Don't you _ever_ have vampires that I do not know come to my apartment without giving me a heads up. Not when I just found out that there are newborns around and not without you there."

"I'm sorry, Darlin'. I didn't have time to tell ya and I wasn't about to leave ya alone." He paused and an exasperate look came to his face, "I told them not to approach ya, but Pete's knower told him that he could without me killin' 'im."

I couldn't help my slight chuckle at that.

"Quite the family you got there," I said with a grin. The comment brought me back to what Charlotte kept telling me, that I was now part of their family. What did she mean by that?

Jasper nodded his head in agreement, an indulgent smile forming on his lips and it nearly took my breath away.

Before I could say my short term goodbye and peel out, Jasper grasped my chin gently and placed the lightest kiss to the corner of my mouth. It affected me more than any kiss I had ever had the experience of receiving. It was light and fleeting, but it was filled with more emotion than I had ever experienced from another.

He pulled back slowly, a soft smile turning the corners of his lips. My cheeks were heated and I was pretty sure my heart had skipped a few beats. He took a few steps back from my truck, his smile growing slightly when I just continued to stare at him in a tiny bit of a daze.

"Have a nice drive, Darlin'."

"Thanks," I whispered as I forced myself awake and pulled out before leaving the parking garage. I was finally on my way to Forks, finally on my way to Charlie.

_Charlie._

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**A/N: Hope you liked this! Please tell me what you think in a review. Ask questions, make comments, do whatever floats your boat. Thank you my lovelies! I'm hoping to start updating a little faster, I have one chapter written, and working on the next one. Forgive me if I didn't answer your review, I'm very short on time so I choose to use my time to write. I'll try to reply to them, but if I don't please know that I'm working hard on getting the chapters written and posted for all of you.**


	8. Chapter 8

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Eight (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

I was grinning like a mad woman and I knew it. If someone saw me from their car window, they would likely think I had recently broken out of the loony bin. But, hey, I was beginning to feel that way. With three vampires suddenly walking back in to my life and realizing that a bunch of newborns were chasing my tail, I couldn't imagine who wouldn't feel that way. Not to mention the strange feeling in my stomach; I was beginning to wonder if I had eaten something bad or if maybe I was getting the flu. Todd had been out of work for a week and a half not too long ago due to that sickness. However, the feeling had begun to travel up into my chest and that had me a little worried.

I wasn't dwelling on it though, far too excited to be seeing Charlie after so many months. Finally I would be getting back to something normal. I couldn't help but wonder briefly if I should be worried that my definition of normal included seeing all my wolf friends. It didn't really matter, I supposed, I was happy just to do it whether it was usual or not.

_Welcome to Forks, Washington._

I couldn't help but to grin even wider at the sign. I was a mere twenty minutes away from home.

Finally, I gave in and picked up my cell phone. If I didn't want to deal with a fight between Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte and the wolves, I needed to let them know that I had company.

"Hey Bella," Paul sounded a little out of breath as he answered on the fifth ring, right before I was about to give up and try Embry.

"Everything okay Paul?" I asked a little worried.

"Yeah, yeah; everything's fine, Bells— just a few stray bloodsuckers here and there."

Fuck, I really couldn't get away from it, could I?

"That's actually why I'm calling." I sighed, "I'm on my way in to town, and—"

"How close are you?" I was abruptly cut off.

"Like twenty minutes, why?" I was surprised by his tone, he sounded worried. I didn't like hearing that with everything else that had been going on.

"I'm running a wide perimeter now, pull over and I'll meet you."

At least that explained the fact that he was a little out of breath, he had probably had to phase just to answer his phone. I looked around quickly; I had just pulled off the highway and saw a deserted, almost completely hidden park. Who would want a park in Forks? It was always down pouring. I rolled my eyes because no one would ever go to a place like this to have a picnic.

"I just got to a little park, meet me there." I finally agreed, but soon realized that I had yet to mention the three vampires that were also on their way and very much not puppy chow. "Wait, I needed to tell you that—"

"See you in a few, Bells!" Paul shouted in my ear.

The prick cut me off again.

I hadn't been able to give him any kind of warning.

_Shit._

"Wait!" I yelled, just as the line went dead. I glared at my phone for a moment and then quickly hit redial as I turned in to the park's parking lot. Five rings, six rings, and finally the answering machine clicked on and I cursed as I slammed my thumb down on the end button; that obnoxious prick.

A knock sounded against my window and I jumped slightly as my head swung around and I locked eyes with a vampire. I motioned with my hand for Peter to back up before pushing the door open and jumping out, smiling softly as the mud squished noisily beneath my feet. I had not expected to miss something so trivial.

"Why'd ya stop, Sweet Pea? Somethin' wrong?" Peter questioned, concern laced his words.

"Shouldn't you know?" I asked curiously, "I thought you're gift would have told you."

"I ain't sure what you're talkin' about, Bella. I don't have no gift." He looked at me as if I had grown another head. I returned the stare with one that clearly stated what I estimated his IQ to be.

"What do you mean? What about your 'knower'?" I asked, surprised.

"Nah, that ain't a gift, Sweet Pea! I just know shit." He chuckled like that was the most obvious answer in the world, and I had a feeling that Peter thought he was being very clear— which he most certainly was not.

"Whatever," I muttered, deciding not to push it. Besides, there were more pressing issues such as the impending werewolf attack. I couldn't help but to chuckle at myself because it sounded quite ridiculous to me. "Paul's on his way," I finally offered as an answer to the question about why I had pulled over. Somewhere in my mind I noticed with relief that the tugging sensation in my chest was slowly dwindling.

Charlotte appeared from the nearby forest and walked out; they were sharing the same confused expressions that clearly asked who the fuck I was talking about.

"Paul is a—"

What the fuck is it with him and interrupting me today? Damn it, he was going to get a piece of my mind. What did I have to do? Start squirting him with a water bottle? Perhaps I could swat him with a rolled up newspaper? He was the most untrained dog that had ever existed.

His roar cut through the empty swatch of land I had decided to hold this little shindig in. I wasn't surprised that he had decided to stay in wolf form, seeing as how I was standing with two red eyed vampires. Both of whom had taken up defensive crouches in front of me, shielding me from an attack they apparently didn't realized was aimed at them as opposed to at the lowly human girl they planned on defending.

Before I could really comprehend it, Paul had pounced forward, rushing Charlotte as though she were the weak link out of the duo. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to believe that— actually, they both seemed equally as lethal. Char caught him mid leap, her hands catching him in the chest and she tossed him back at the tree line. I knew what would be coming next; the mind link in the wolves would alert all the others and soon enough we would be surrounded by the whole pack.

I wouldn't be able to deal with the thought of losing either of the two vampires who were standing in front of me; somehow they had managed to rather quickly carve out a place in my heart. They were just so loveable. The idea of losing any more of the wolves made my heart sink and I began to feel a little woozy. I had to end this now before it got really serious.

I was just about to step forward when two more wolves appeared on either side of Paul's hulking form. He had been pacing back and forth at the edge of the forest, obviously looking for any sign of weakness that he could use to his advantage. I kept trying to catch his eyes to communicate to him that there was no danger since I seemed unable to find my voice and just shout it.

Seth and Leah took his flanks immediately and again Paul took the initiative and stalked forward. Their eyes were twitching between the two in front of me and I knew that if they pounced, when they pounced, not everyone would make it out in one piece.

"No," I finally spoke, but the word was a mere whisper on the wind. It was as if my vocal cords had dried up and nothing was working as it should have been.

It all happened very quickly. All three pounced, Seth was headed for Peter and Leah obviously planned on taking on Charlotte. Paul, on the other hand, was headed directly for me. I was sure it would be attempted as a rescue mission, but I wasn't so confident that it would work out as one.

Mid air, there was a loud crashing noise as suddenly something appeared behind Paul. The figure grabbed the gigantic dog by the scruff of his neck and pulled him to the ground, effectively saving me from possibly being trampled. Simultaneously, the other two wolves fell to the ground at Peter and Char's feet. I heard weak cries from them and I couldn't help but to gasp in shock.

Finally, I managed to concentrate and look past the scene before me and to the cause of it all. Standing above Paul, his hand still holding the loose skin between the pup's shoulder blades, was Jasper.

I was shocked beyond belief, he had moved so quickly my eyes had been unable to follow the movement to the point that he had flat out disappeared. I had once seen Edward move at his fastest, but even he had appeared simply as a blur. Edward was supposed to be the fastest, but how would that be possible when I had just seen what had played out right before my eyes?

I snapped out of it at a slightly louder pained whine that came from the sandy colored wolf, Seth.

"Whatever you are doing to them, stop." I whispered and right away the cries ceased, though they did not rise. They just lay there, trembling slightly.

I looked towards Jasper, hoping to catch his gaze, but he was still glowering down at the wolf in his grasp. I walked up to them quickly, Peter reached out as if he were about to try and stop me but he retracted his arm at my glare; smart of him, because I was pissed.

"Put him down," I muttered when I reached Jasper, finally catching his attention. I could see the reluctance in his red eyes but eventually he gave in.

Paul sagged to the ground in a heap, but only for a second. As soon as he gained his bearings he popped up to his feet and again looked as if he were about to make a go for Jasper. I swear some dogs never learn their lesson. Just as Jasper was about to intervene and before he could grab me and pull me away from the beast, I reached up and smacked Paul on the nose.

That seemed to stun more than just Paul, as Jasper also stopped is his tracks and a small smirk seemed to be twitching the corners of his full lips.

"You prick!" I shouted at Paul, I was furious. "When I call you, you listen to what I have to say and you do not interrupt me every chance you get!" I noticed that his eyes had drifted and he had returned to glowering at Jasper. I did the obvious thing in once again smacking him, making him wince. "Eyes right here, mister!" I hissed.

"She's scolding the wolf!" I heard Peter giggling maniacally behind my back, sounding a wee bit like a first grader.

"If you would have just let me fucking _talk_ none of this shit would have happened! I would have been able to tell you that I had a few vampires with me and we could have gone on our merry way." I was fuming. "Go change," I hissed and pointed towards the tree line.

With a final growl in the vampires' direction, Paul turned and ran off with his tail between his legs. Slowly, almost groggily, the other two rose and wobbled their way off behind him. Maybe once they were back in human form we could have an actual conversation about what was going on.

Maybe Paul would actually let me talk so there wouldn't be any more misunderstandings.

"Fuck, yeah!" Peter screamed as I turned on my heel and began making my way back to my truck. "Bella's a bad ass!"

I rolled my eyes.

Jasper came up beside me and silently placed his arm around my waist. As opposed to shaking it off as I probably should have and he likely expected, I leaned in to his embrace. I was exhausted. On top of four hours straight of driving, I had just told off a wolf that was more than five times my size. He pulled me in to his side and allowed us both to lean against my truck, though admittedly, I was leaning more on him than anything else. As his citrus and spice scent invaded my senses, I closed my eyes in pure bliss.

The tugging in my stomach and chest had evaporated, replaced with a warm feeling of content.

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**A/N: Please review.** **Nothing major changed except words. I did change his scent as well. I never liked the smell of hay, and the thought of hugging someone that smells like leather doesn't sound pleasant to me. Sorry for those of you who do like hay and leather.**


	9. Chapter 9

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Nine (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

(Jasper's Point of View)

With Bella leaning back against me and emanating the most amazing cocktail of contentment, relaxation, and just a bit of lust, I couldn't help but to feel truly happy for the first time in what had to be years. Despite the fact that I had just needed to end a fight with three wolves and that easily should have scared the hell out of her, she seemed unfazed— other than being pissed about being interrupted and tearing the wolf a new one.

I didn't like the wolves, though I didn't harbor the same hatred for them that Edward had. Bella trusted them unconditionally; I could feel it in her emotions. Not once during the little skirmish had she had any worry for her own safety, only when she was looking at the wolves or at Pete and Char did she feel that specific emotion. She had been worried that they would hurt each other.

I couldn't help but to be curious as to just what they had done to earn her trust or why they felt so protective of her, but I planned on finding out. I needed to know everything that had happened since we had left; what had caused her to grow a backbone and what had happened to make her who she was.

I needed to know what had made her choose to move to Seattle as opposed to back to Arizona or wherever it was that her mother resided. As far as I knew, she hated the rain and the cold.

I was thankful that the god awful pulling had subsided now that she was in my arms. I could almost feel myself being pulled in half as I had been catching up and as soon as there had been even a hint of danger to her, I had sprinted. I knew what it all meant, I wasn't clueless. I had felt this between Pete and Char and even between Emmett and Rosalie.

I shook my head slowly; I wouldn't force the idea on Bella. She had finally gotten away from all the vampires and I didn't really think she wanted to deal with more.

I was brought out of my musings when the now human man broke the tree line. He was glaring at me hard, his eyes lingering on my arm which was still holding Bella at my side. He was angry that we were here, but if Bella wanted to visit her dad then she was going to. He couldn't get me to leave, not with the threat hanging over her head.

"What are you doing here, bloodsucker?" He hissed just as the other two stepped out from behind the tree trunks. Before I could utter a response six other wolves broke their heads out of the tree line, showing that we were out numbered. I smirked at him; if he wanted a fight I was willing to offer one, just not in front of Bella. It had been a while since I had been able to battle it out with anyone other than Peter, and if any serious damage had been done Charlotte would have my ass. I could feel my monster vibrating with excitement at the possibility of violence, nothing thrilled him more. My only hope would be that Bella left before anything happened, I wasn't sure that she could deal with that kind of gore while human.

"Just escortin' a lady home," I drawled, bringing a nasty snort out of the wolf who Bella had informed us was named Paul and a chuckle out of Bella herself.

"What do you want from her?" The younger man, a boy really, asked. I could tell by the taste of his emotions that he had been the wolf with fur the color of sand.

What did I want from Bella? A whole fucking lot. She did things that surprised me, made me question myself about things I wouldn't otherwise, made me feel; though I didn't really have an answer to that question that I was willing to share with a dog. More importantly was what I wanted _for_ Bella. I needed her safe, happy, near me.

"What makes you think I want something from her?" I decided to answer his question with one of my own.

"We can see your eyes, you're a murderer." Paul just continued to glare.

"Well I have to agree with you there," I conceded, shocking them and Bella. They didn't need to know the specifics of how Peter, Charlotte, and I hunted though I knew that I would need to tell Bella soon enough. I only gave her a slight idea of what kind of people we hunted, she seemed to accept that well enough but she had been half asleep at the time of our conversation. I wasn't even sure she remembered it all.

"But that doesn't mean that I view every human as a meal."

Before the conversation could go any further, Bella finally spoke up.

"Who were the vampires that were in the area?" Bella spoke directly to Paul, straightening as she did so. She was no longer leaning against me, but she stayed by my side and my arm remained around her. I could feel her reluctance to move and it was something that we shared. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Peter and Char eying us with knowing grins. The fucker did indeed bring me here for Bella, and not just to save her.

I thought back to my run over, I had noticed a few stray scents but they had been at least a week old. They were none I recognized so they were either nomads I had yet to come across or more newborns. I didn't like it no matter their age, their scent screamed human drinker and therefore they were a threat to Bella.

"We don't know who they were," Paul grumbled, obviously not liking to have to give the facts to more than just Bella. I didn't care, this could be important information.

"The first time there were four of them, we got the three but one seemed more experienced and ran off. We were tracking him but lost him at the ocean. He has been back a few times since, always bringing with other newborns and we always get those, but he never sticks around long enough for us to get close to him."

I could feel his annoyance at not being able to catch the fucker, but my mind was already elsewhere. It was a scouting party, a commonly used strategy down south. Send some newborns with a more experienced fighter to survey your enemy, always allowing the newborns to be used as a shield so that when the slightly older vampire returned, he could share the news. Fuck, this all had to do with Bella.

"A scouting party," I muttered and both Peter and Char nodded in agreement, scowls on their faces. Neither of them had been lying when they had claimed that Bella was a part of the family, they loved her like a sister. I could feel through Bella's constantly swirling vortex of emotions that the feeling was mutual. I knew that she would truly be a part of our small coven eventually.

"A what?" Bella asked right away, and I quickly explained that they were checking out the area for weaknesses.

"Did they come near Charlie?" She bristled next to me, turning to stare at the wolf pack.

"We didn't let them," Paul said, trying to comfort her. He didn't though, and I knew what she had heard out of that sentence. They had tried.

"Why didn't you fucking call and tell me?" She yelled at him, while we had been talking the wolves had slowly closed the distance between us and were now only a few yards away though we were still by her truck. She took a step forward, looking as though she were going to hit him in the nose again.

"Then what, huh, Bells? You would have come speeding over here from Seattle, trying to figure out a way to fix this when in reality there was nothing you could do. You are only human! You would have gotten yourself killed!" He yelled back just as angrily, and I growled darkly at him in warning. I didn't like him raising his voice at her.

Paul shrunk back slightly at the sound of my growl, having been caught off guard. I didn't fucking care. He probably wasn't used to the sound of a real vampire's growl, having only had to fight newborns and having the occasional run in with the veggies. The other wolves took cautious steps forward, prepared to defend the man if something were to happen. They wouldn't have a chance. He just continued to stare at me, wide eyed, as Bella turned away from him and returned to my side. That surprised me most; she was a mere human, she should have been terrified. Instead, she placed her small, warm palm on the side of my face and slowly my growls faded away.

I turned my head to face her and I noticed her soft smile. I could only imagine what could be running through her mind as she was feeling no fear at all.

"I am going to see my father now." She said as she turned her head back to the wolves. "I haven't seen him in months and I miss him. Not to mention he knew I was coming today and he'll probably put out a 'Missing Persons' add if I don't show up soon."

"What about the bloodsuckers?" Paul hissed, hatred making the atmosphere feel heavy.

Bella glanced at me before turning in Peter and Charlotte's direction. "They'll stay here for now." She waited a moment to hear an objection from one of us but didn't get one. Apparently we were all in agreement. "They will stay near my house and go nowhere near Quileute territory."

"We can't let them hunt here, Bella." He replied stiffly.

"Now don't ya worry your big, furry brains about that." Peter said, a huge smirk littering his features. "We got plenty on the way over, we should be good 'til we leave town."

I chuckled softly at him. I knew what he was doing; rubbing it in the mutts' faces the loss of human life because there was nothing they could do about it. I watched as Paul started shaking slightly and knew he was close to phasing. Thankfully Peter was done and hopefully we could avoid this particular battle altogether.

"Paul," Bella said his name sharply, snapping him out of it. Then, he turned towards us. "If you step out of line for even a second while you're in Forks, we will kill you. We don't make many exceptions so be thankful that we are letting you walk away now. Do not overstay your welcome." His voice was icier than our skin.

"Yes, ma'am!" Charlotte crowed from beside Peter and I snorted softly. It was hard for them to stay quiet for as long as they had and now they were letting it out. She ran to the side of Bella's truck and pulled open the passenger door. "File in!" She shouted playfully and Bella knew that she was the one whom the commands were directed at. She let out a small chuckle as she trotted over to Char's side. Just before she climbed in, she turned towards Paul one last time.

"I'm going to stop by the Rez tomorrow so we can talk." She paused and watched as Paul's eyes hardened. He was radiating betrayal to the point that I nearly shivered. She could see that he was about to refuse, so instead she cut his off with an apology. "I'm sorry."

She looked away and crawled in the passenger seat. I was positioned in the driver's side moments later and was pulling out and heading in the direction of Charlie's. I looked back and just barely saw the blurs behind the tree line where Pete and Char were tailing us. She was silent the rest of the drive and I couldn't help but to feel guilty that we may have just ended her friendship with the wolves, whether I liked them or not.

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**A/N: I thought I would give you another small look in to Jasper's mind. Review if you liked it, or didn't. Again just changed words.**


	10. Chapter 10

Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Ten (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

(Bella's Point of View)

It had been forever since a vampire had last driven my truck. I couldn't help but to chuckle when it made a slight wheezing noise as he started to reach sixty miles an hour. Vampires were more accustomed to a faster speed than my old hunk of metal could handle and they always seemed to want to push its limits. I didn't really care; the faster Jasper drove the faster I would arrive at Charlie's.

"How long has it been since you've been back here?" Jasper asked as he allowed the truck to slow to fifty where it was more capable of driving without the risk of falling to pieces.

"A few months," My foot started tapping rapidly against the ground, a habit I picked up when I was being impatient. Jasper reached over and placed his hand on my thigh, stilling the movement and squeezing slightly. I gasped as I felt flames ignite within my skin and heat pool between my thighs at the simple touch.

"Darlin', if ya don't calm down you're gonna get me as wound up as you are." Jasper's voice was gruff as he said this, and I had a feeling he was talking about more than just my anticipation. I could see his eyes darkening slightly and I took a deep breath, trying to reign in my excited emotions of more than one kind.

A few moments later, before I had to think up a response, we pulled up to the house. Out of impulse, I turned towards the vampire who drove me home and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself to him in a hug seeing as how he was much too strong for me to be able to pull him to me.

"Thank you for keeping them from fighting," I whispered against his chest, referring to Peter, Char, and the wolves. I was amazed at his strength, his speed, and his skill but I was sure it had to do with his past and I wasn't ready to start that conversation yet. I knew that if I asked him to delve in to such a personal subject, then I would have to do the same. I wasn't willing to do that quite yet; I didn't want him to feel guilty when it wasn't his fault and I didn't want anyone's pity, either. "I don't know what I would have done if anyone got hurt because of me."

Jasper splayed his large hands over my hips and with one swift tugging motion I suddenly was in his lap, straddling him. I gasped at our close proximity as heat shot to my center. Jasper pulled me softly against his chest and I nearly moaned at the tingling sensation his every touch elicited. Excitement coursed through my body and it most certainly had nothing to do with being outside my father's house; in fact, I suddenly wanted to be anywhere else. I had never felt such need to be with a man before. His eyes were a pitch black vortex, swirling erratically, and I watched as they flickered from my eyes to my lips and back again.

I licked my lips in anticipation, remembering the teasing brush of his lips to the corner of my mouth earlier that day. What would he taste like? Would his lips be gentle or rough against mine? Would it be chaste or deep and passionate? I was betting on the latter, everything about this man screamed passion and sex. I wondered if I should have been scared, but I just couldn't quite bring myself to care as much as I likely should have.

I watched with rapt attention as he began his slow descent to my lips, watching my eyes for any sign of refusal. He would find none. I felt as his thumbs slipped just past the hem of my shirt and traced along my hip. His skin had a surprising rough quality, as though his hands had been extremely calloused with work during his human days and the change had not gotten rid of all the remnants. It made the feeling even more erotic.

Finally his lips were on mine and I gasped slightly as a shiver of pure desire rolled down my back. He took advantage and allowed his tongue to pass through and enter my mouth. I moaned softly at the feeling, his cool tongue stroking mine and bringing it to life. Our tongues danced and I felt as my fingers curled in to his soft, chin length, wavy blond hair and tugged roughly. I felt him smirk in to the kiss and suck my bottom lip between his teeth; he tugged softly, careful not to break the skin.

His right hand slowly trailed itself up my shirt, stopping just below my breast. His delicious thumb traced just underneath the bottom edge of my bra before finally palming me over the fabric. I was a little irritated that the undergarment was still in the way, wanting to know if the rest of his hand was just as rough as his thumb. It was so irregular for a vampire not to be perfect that I found myself craving that aspect of him even more. I gasped when I felt him gently tweak my nipple through the material.

Pure heat rushed through my core and I couldn't help but to buck my hips against him, craving friction as my arousal rose. He groaned at my action and suddenly I felt the hand that remained at my hip tighten slightly. He readjusted me and suddenly I felt his large member rubbing against my sex through both layers of denim separating us. I moaned loudly and threw my head back, needing air as I was overcome with the pleasure that little bit of friction brought with it.

I was panting hard, my chest rising and falling erratically as I continued to grind down into him. He pressed his lips to where my neck met my shoulder in an open mouth kiss, sucking slightly. He growled as I kept adding pressure to where our cores were connected and I gasped as it vibrated through me, my panties getting more moist by the second. He nipped down my neck and soothed the marks with his cool tongue. I groaned, needing more of him.

He seemed to agree as soon I felt his left hand making its way to the buttons on my jeans while his right hand continued to massage my breast. Sheer exhilaration coursed through my veins at the idea of being with Jasper so intimately. He pulled away from my neck to look me deeply in the eyes. His were black fire, dancing with lust and I was sure the same emotion was shining bright in my own eyes. A smirk formed on his lips and I felt as he popped the button on my jeans.

A knock sounded on the door to my truck and my eyes popped wide as I was broken out of the lust filled bubble that had formed around us. Somehow I had forgotten where we were and that while the road wasn't a busy one and the rain obstructed any view of the inside of my truck, we certainly were not in private. Neither of us jumped away from each other like we likely should have, though. The only movement made was Jasper's hands moving back to my hips as opposed to my breast and my jeans. It was as though some invisible force left us glued together, quite literally attached at the hip.

Jasper growled again, this time out of annoyance instead of lust. I preferred the latter.

As another knock sounded, Jasper finally reacted. He pulled me closer to his chest before turning slightly so that he was facing more towards the window. He shifted me so that I managed to remain on his lap while still being hidden by his broad shoulder. He was hiding me from the intruder, protecting me. Finally Jasper rolled down the window and Peter came face to face with the glares of both Jasper and I— though I had to strain my neck slightly in order to see around him.

"Well, lookie here. Major, her glare's just as ferocious as yours!" Peter hooted with a loud laugh, but my mind snagged on what he called Jasper. Why had Pete called Jasper Major? Jasper growled at him, obviously not liking being interrupted.

Peter raised his hands in a sign of surrender and took a step back from the truck.

"Hey, now don't go givin' me that look. Sweet Pea's Daddy is gonna notice Bella's truck here in about a minute and a half. When she doesn't come in, he's gonna come out. If I hadn't stopped ya'll now, what d'ya think Papa Bear woulda' walked in on?" Peter was smirking by the end of his little speech, no doubt pleased with himself for saving us from that awful situation.

Jasper sighed as Peter turned and walked back to the tree line, likely to reunite with Charlotte. I was still in his lap when I heard a noise close to the house and my head snapped in its direction— I noticed that Jasper had already turned to face it. Charlie had just opened the front door and was peering out curiously. Luckily, it was down pouring rather hard, even for Forks. He stayed under the safety of the roof; at least, for now. I scurried, grabbing my bag and about to jump out of the door when I felt Jasper grab my hips and pull me back to him. I yelped quietly, not expecting the action.

"Calm down, Darlin'," Jasper whispered against my neck, my back to his chest. "Charlie can't see us through the rain." I sighed quietly in relief, not knowing how I would have explained the presence of a Cullen to my father when he had watched me fall apart at their departure.

"Good, then I should get going before he decides to investigate." I muttered impatiently. He was a cop, he would and likely sooner rather than later.

"Think about what you were about to do, Isabella." Jasper whispered against my skin, his lips just barely brushing my neck and making me shiver with want. Usually I hated the used of my full name, but upon hearing it fall from his lips I felt heat flooding the space between my legs with a vengeance. It made me want to curl into him and never leave—perhaps offer myself up to him on a platter. "You were about to jump out of the passenger side door."

I nodded my head dumbly. I was a little lost in the very essence of Jasper and unwilling to bring myself back to reality.

"Don't ya think your Daddy woulda' been a bit suspicious as to who was drivin' if you got out of the passenger door instead of the driver's side door?"

I finally pulled myself to the surface and looked past the sensation of his lips on my neck to absorb the actual meaning of his words. I couldn't help but to laugh lightly, because he was right. I was so lost in our activities that I wasn't even thinking straight, and sadly I could no longer chalk it up to exhaustion. I turned in his lap so that I was back to straddling him again, careful not to let myself brush him in such an intimate manner with the possibility of being walked in on lurking off to the side.

"Look, I'm only human. How can I be expected to think straight with the likes of you sitting in my truck?" I asked, forcing my voice to sound as though I were truly agitated. I knew he would see through it, being an empath and all. However, that didn't make the idea of messing with him any less appealing.

I watched as he tried to decipher what I had meant by that, obviously not knowing if it was a compliment or an insult. He frowned though he didn't look offended. I supposed it could be taken either way depending on just what it was keeping me so distracted. But looking back on our activities of just moment ago, it shouldn't have been too hard to figure out.

I threw him a wink and a grin, restraining myself against a kiss on the cheek knowing that if I did I would never leave the cab of my truck. I opened the driver's side door and climbed over him before slamming the door shut behind me. I knew that he would sneak to the tree line as soon as Charlie had disappeared inside the house.

Finally I came in to view of my father. "Bells! What took you so long in there? Trying to make me dinner without a stove?" He shouted over to me with a rough laugh.

I grinned at him, making my way to the front door and squinting through the rain. "Hey, if I had been, you would've eaten it and you would've liked it!" I replied in kind with a snigger of my own.

When I reached him he wrapped me in a warm hug, making me drop my bag as I reached around and patted his back.

"You're probably right on the money there," He grinned down at me, giving me another squeeze. I smiled right on back, I had missed my father even more than I realized.

One stray thought lingered in the back of my mind as I felt Jasper's eyes on me from the truck: Why was I suddenly feeling so attracted to Jasper, when I had never felt that way in my time with the Cullens?

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**A/N: Am I a bitch for teasing you just a bit? I'm sorry, but I refuse to have their first time in a car. Don't hate me, but even if you do, I'll still love you anyway. It's one of those 'kill them with kindess' type deals ;)**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the almost-smut I stuffed in this chapter. I would love to know what you think :)**

**If sex is called a lemon, would that be considered a grape?**

**Alright everyone, this is the last chapter of PuzzlingApprentice's chapters. From now on they are my own chapters. At this point I only have two chapters written. For now, until I have more time to write I'll be posting once a week. I'm working two jobs, and a beta to three stories, as well as writing two stories. Right now, there is so much drama going on with my other story that I just can't stop or even slow it down. Also, I have been getting a lot more reviews for that story than this one. I understand that its mostly because most of the readers for this one have already read these chapters, and will most likely pick up once my own chapters have started. I promise there is much drama coming starting with the next chapter, and that's before any fighting with newborns starts. Please try to be patient with me in updating this story, I want to do my very best with it, and I can't do that if I'm tired. I'll try to post at least once a week.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N A special thanks to my beta twilightaddict71484 for making this better, and my pre-reader OoJasper'sAngeloO for helping me come up with some of the details in this chapter. This chapter is entirely my own. Hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Bella's POV**

I knew that Jasper would probably go to my room, and I was going to take my stuff and find out what Jasper was going to do. Something about the thought of him leaving made my chest hurt.

Sure enough he was sitting on my bed waiting for me. He smirked at me when I shut the door. The thought of what we had just almost done, along with the fact that he was now sitting on my bed had my heart racing, and my lust shot up. I swear this vampire was going to kill me.

Before I could even walk across the room, he had me pinned up against the wall,"Darlin', if ya keep up with those feelins' I'm gonna have to do somethin' about it. That lust ya keep throwin' at me makes me want to take ya right now, right here."

He started kissing my neck and I forgot what he was saying. Finally, I remembered what I wanted to say, "So why don't you then?"

"I can give you a very good reason in just one sentence. You're dad is here, and wondering why you're still up here. So, unless you want him comin' up here and findin' ya naked, with me, then we need to stop, and ya need to behave yourself, darlin'. "

"What about you, mister? You're the one who pinned me to the wall. You still are!" I told him.

He let go of me and then told me that him and Peter were going hunting. Char was staying behind to watch over the house. If I had to go anywhere, for any reason, Char would go with me. He made me promise to call him if I needed him for any reason, and then gave me his cell phone number.

He gave me one more passionate kiss before jumping out the window. I know its sounds stupid but I missed him already. With a heavy sigh I went downstairs to find something to fix for dinner.

Once in the kitchen I realized that it must have been awhile since dad had gone shopping. I would have to go to the store if we wanted a home cooked meal. I knew that I could probably just order pizza, but I also knew that dad probably had pizza a lot since I wasn't around to cook for him.

I would have to go out after all. I told dad that I would run to the store and that I would be right back. He offered to go for me, but no telling what he would end up getting. Beer, pretzels, peanuts, you know junk food. So I grabbed my coat, and purse and headed out to my truck.

Char was supposed to be watching the house, so I whispered to the trees knowing she would hear me that she could stay, I would be right back. When I got to my truck she was already sitting in the passenger seat waiting. She actually scared me!

She wanted to come with me to go to the store. She hadn't ever had the chance to go shopping with another female so she was excited. Even though it was shopping for human food she didn't care.

The trip there was filled with both of us asking each other questions, just like two regular women our age would do trying to get to know each other. It was mostly questions like what our favorite music is, our favorite movies, what we liked to do for fun, that kind of stuff.

We both were starting to enjoy each others company. She even started to tell me things that her husband would drag Jasper into. Like the time he wanted to know what it felt like to be drunk.

He dragged Jasper to a bar just to watch the humans until they found one that was really drunk. Then Jasper did his mojo shit as Char called it, and kept it up, "That was the funniest fuckin' shit. Peter was singin', or what he thought was singin' but actually sounded more like a Banshee wailin'. Jasper was laughin' his ass off, and refused to pull the feelin' back until I slapped him upside his head, which is pretty scary in itself. No one hits the Major without getting ripped apart."

"I'm sorry, who is the Major?" I asked.

"That's the name we always called Jasper. It wasn't until later that we learned his real name. But that's his story to tell ya." she replied.

I just nodded as I already knew her well enough that she was like her mate in that if it had something to do with Jasper she wouldn't say anything more. That made me both even more curious about Jasper's past, and I also had more respect for Jasper's friends. They genuinely cared about him. He had always seemed to stay in the background when I was around.

I was starting to wonder if there was a reason that Edward and Alice had always kept us apart. I always knew there was more to him than what I heard and saw. We never really talked, it was mostly saying hi, and bye. But it was Jasper that was there trying to comfort me when we were running from James.

I still remember clearly the words he spoke to me in the hotel room, "You're wrong you know. You _are_ worth it. Our only fear is in losing you."

I know he was trying to comfort me, but it only made me feel worse. Because of me, the whole family had been put in danger. At the time, I would have gladly given up my life to make sure they were all safe. I loved them, at the time.

Now, it was different. They had all abandoned me. Left me and my dad in danger because Victoria was still trying to avenge James' death. While she is dead now, she still took the lives of my mom and Phil, as well as Sam, and Jake. I could never forgive them for that, and I blamed Edward the most.

I knew that if Edward came back right now, my only reaction would be to try to rip him apart and burn him. I was pretty sure that it was Edward's doing in getting the family to up and leave without even so much as a "fuck you."

I had never blamed Jasper. I was pretty sure that he would follow Alice because she was his mate. That thought alone made me question this tugging sensation in my chest, as well as why was he here, fighting to protect me now. I was also wondering why in the hell was I finding it so hard to not want him.

The problem with that is that I just don't care enough about the vampire that told me we were going to be best friends, and then just up and tell me that I didn't matter to any of them. Surely, if they had been mates then they would still be together, but then Jasper did say that they weren't mates and he knew they never were.

I knew that if he stayed around that I would want to ask him what happened. I didn't want to, because I knew that if I did ask him to tell me, then I would have to talk about what happened after they all left. I wasn't ready to talk about that yet.

I also knew that with the wolf pack here, I would have to tell Jasper as well as Peter and Char. They needed to understand why most of the pack especially Paul is so angry with vampires, especially with anyone associated with the Cullens; as well as why they were so angry with me for hanging around them, again.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Char who had been talking for the last minute or two. Turns out she was asking why I was passing the store I was supposed to be going to. I laughed and told her I had been thinking so hard I wasn't paying attention.

She smiled and said,"Yeah, Jasper has that kind of effect on most females. Even though he hasn't even looked at another female, except as food, since he left the "manipulator". You're the first woman he has taken a shine to. Ya know, I happen to believe that you'll be good for him, and he for you."

I blushed. I haven't blushed in years. I told her that it wasn't like that between us. We were just old acquaintance's getting to know each other. We hadn't even had the chance to become friends, when we were with the Cullens.

She smiled and said, "Of course. And the two of you practically dry humpin' each other is just part of getting to know each other?"

She had me there. Nothing else was said, but the smile on her face told me that she didn't believe a word I had said. I finally pulled into the parking lot, and we got out.

The shopping went quickly and I soon had enough to last us a few days at least. Char seemed to be both intrigued, and disgusted with the food in the store. She really couldn't understand how humans could stand to eat things like the pickled pigs feet. On that one I had to agree.

I had noticed that Char seemed to be in pain, she kept rubbing her chest. I wonder if she was feeling a tug as well. When I asked her about it, she went quiet. She finally, just said that the bond with Peter sometimes made her uncomfortable when he was away.

I just looked at her. Then I asked her,"Is it like a tugging?" Again, she just looked at me for a minute or so.

Finally, she spoke up and asked me what I was talking about. I guess that I could talk to her. So I told her about the tugging sensation in my chest. I also told her that I was having feelings that I had never felt before even with Edward.

With him, it was just plain old teenage hormones. With Jasper, it was like I _needed_ to be near him. I felt safe, more at ease. At least as at ease a person can be with vampires after her. But somehow, deep down, I knew three things as absolute truth.

I knew he would kill to keep me safe, die trying to do just that, if necessary, and there was something that made me to never want to be without Jasper. The thought right now of him leaving me, made me feel true fear, and my chest hurt like never before. I needed him, and that thought alone, scared the fucking shit out of me.

I just couldn't handle it again if Jasper, Peter, and Char left. Yet, I figured that they probably would once the newborn threat had been dealt with. While they may call me family, I knew that I was just probably a distraction for them. I remember Edward once told me that vampires are easily distracted.

Jasper would leave as soon as the threat was taken care of. The worst part of it was that I was quickly loosing my heart to these three vampires, and I had no clue as to how to stop it. Deep down though, there was a part that didn't want me to. I decided that I needed a few minutes alone. I needed to decide what to do with my feelings.

I told her to go on back to the house. The newborns were in Seattle so it should be safe for me to drive back to Charlie's house. It was only a fifteen minute drive. She could wait for Peter to come back from his hunt, and see him much sooner. She argued with me at first, but I told her I would drive straight back and not stop. She told me to call her if any problems came up. After promising her that I would, she left.

I was half way home when the truck sputtered and then stalled. I tried to get it to start again, but it was dead. I knew nothing about engines so I wouldn't even bother to look at it. The real problem was that I had about seven miles to walk to get home, I had several bags of food, and it was dark.

If it was just me I would have just walked, but dad and I needed the food. Char had no car so she couldn't come and get me. I wasn't about to call the wolves, I was still pissed at Paul. I sat there just thinking, trying to decide what to do when the door was suddenly ripped away.

I was suddenly ripped out of the truck and landed up against the base of a tree. I had hit my head and was trying focus on what was going on around me. I could see a figure headed in my direction, but they were blurry.

Suddenly, there's a strange vampire standing in front of me. He pulls me quickly back up to my feet. I tried to struggle, and he pushes me hard enough to hit my head against the tree again. Everything went black. . .

**A/N Please let me know your thoughts. Especially since this is my first chapter that is written by me. Just don't throw flames at me, you know how I love making it interesting enough for you to want to come back for more. If I can get another chapter written, I'll try to post before its been a week. Thanks to all who reviewed, and added this story to their favorites and alerts. I didn't reply, as I was told to write instead of reply, but I did read and love every single review. Thanks guys.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N A special thanks to my beta twilightaddict71484 for her awesome skills, and to my pre-readers OoJasper'sAngeloO and sinfulroad69. Without their help, this story wouldn't be worth reading. Now, we find out if Bella gets away from the vampire, and how the Major reacts. Hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Char's POV**

I got back to Bella's house and since I couldn't really go in I decided to wait in the tree line where I knew Peter had gone in. Not knowing how far they would have to go, I had no clue as to how long it would take them to get back.

I did know they couldn't hunt in Forks, or even Port Angeles. I had a feeling they went to Seattle. There they could hunt, and check out a few things with the newborns. That meant an hour there and an hour back tops. That didn't include the actual hunt.

I probably had at least another hour before they would be back. My chest hurt, and I really needed my mate. I could handle it if I got busy with Bella. She suggested introducing Peter and I to her dad, and even came up with a cover story.

I was excited that she wanted to introduce us to her dad. It meant that we were important enough to her to include us in not only her own life, but to include us in her dad's life as well. She seemed to be the type of person that wanted everyone she cared about to know each other, and be a part of her life together.

We were going to go with the cover that we were friends and we met in Seattle. None of it was a lie. She also mentioned having Jasper meet her father as well. I had no idea how the Major would take that idea. But it meant she wanted him to be included in her dad's life as well. It was an honor that I had a feeling no one had had since the Cullens up and left Bella. At least she seemed to be more accepting of Jasper.

I was happy that the Major had finally met his mate. He knew what was going on, but she didn't. I was kind of surprised to hear that she was feeling the mating pull, and the pain of separation. I had never heard of a human feeling it, but then again, I never knew anyone to be the mate of a human.

Still, she was perfect for him. Feisty lil' thing she is. She's gonna give the Major a run for his money that's for fuckin' sure. She would not put up with his shit, just like I won't put up with Peter's. And, I let him get away with a lot of shit.

Still, I love im' and I know that Bella will come to love Jasper. Him, not being able to get to know her while she was with the mind sucker, will make it easier for her to forgive him. After all, she didn't know him very well, and why should it have mattered that he didn't say good-bye.

I had a feeling that things were about to get crazy. When she started asking about the tugging, I wanted to tell her what it was. But, Peter said that she needed to figure that out for herself. I can kind of understand his point.

Since she has a past with Jasper, she probably wouldn't take it well, or even believe it. I mean, why should she? If I had been in her place, I would probably be better off figuring it out myself rather than having someone tell me.

I was brought out of my thoughts by my cell phone going off. It was Peter, "Char, the Major and I are on our way back but you need to stick closer to Sweet Pea. We found a strange vampire scent that seems to be heading straight to Forks. We're runnin' as fast as we can, but babe, well, we think that maybe Bella was bein' followed by more than just us."

OH SHIT!

I didn't even think to be careful. I just fucking jumped out of the tree and took off like a bat outta hell. I quickly had to tell them what I had stupidly done. I left Bella to fend off a vampire by herself. I heard the Major roar, and that is never a good sign.

Great, now I not only had to worry about Bella being unharmed, but I had to worry about what the Major was gonna do to me if she has been in any danger while I was off in la la land, just sitting in a tree. But in my defense she did tell me that she wanted to be alone for a few minutes to think. Still, the Major wasn't gonna let me get away with leaving his mate in danger, alone.

I decided it would be best if I followed the road since this is the way her truck would travel to come home. She was already ten minutes past the time she should have been home. I hadn't known fear since I left Maria with Peter, but I was feeling it now. Not for myself, but for what I might find when I caught up to Bella.

I wasn't even trying to be careful that no human saw me. When I was about almost halfway back to the store, I rounded a corner to see her truck parked on the side of the road. I could now smell blood. Shit, shit, shit, oh fuck!

As soon as I got around to the other side I saw several things. The door to the truck was ripped off, there was a vampire I had never seen before, and I had arrived just as the vampire slammed the back of Bella's head into the tree knocking her out.

I was on him before the asshole even knew I was a comin'. The surprise was to my advantage and I was able to knock him away from Bella. Then the fuckin' coward jumped up and ran. Yeah, he's a big bad vampire when it comes to a human, but let a female vampire show up and he fuckin' runs like his ass is on fire.

I had a decision to make, either run after him and leave Bella alone or stay with her and make sure she's alright. I'm not fuckin' stupid, I decided that I needed to stay with her. It could be a trap, I go after him, and his friends go after Bella. Not gonna happen.

Not knowin' enough about human anatomy I was worried about touchin' her. I did do a light exam and saw that there were no broken bones, but there were a lot of bruises. I could also smell blood. It seemed to be comin' from the back of her head where the asshole knocked her head against the tree.

I knew what I needed to do but I also knew that I would be facin' the wrath of the Major. Still, it would be better for him to know that while she was hurt, at least she's safe for now. The vampire did manage to get away, but not with Bella. I pulled my phone out and dialed.

The phone didn't even get a full ring in before I heard, "Report!"

I quickly told them what I knew and that as far as I could tell there were no major injuries. I told them where we were, and the Major said they were about five minutes away. He told me to make it look like the truck went out of control, in case humans passed by and saw the truck, it needed to look like an accident, instead of an attack.

It only took me a couple of minutes to make it look like the truck went out of control and wrapped itself around a tree. I had to do it the hard way since the truck wasn't starting. Once I was satisfied I went back to Bella who was still passed out. This is where the Major and Peter found us.

The Major came to us and immediately took her into his arms. He looked her over and seemed to be relieved that at least she didn't appear to have any injuries. But in order to not raise suspicions we would need to do this through human means, especially since her dad was the chief of police.

We would call 911 and report an accident. This way Bella could be taken to the hospital and be checked out. Like we had already planned, we would be friends of Bella's that came with her from Seattle. Of course, Jasper would be a boyfriend. Peter said that since this would be a surprise for her dad, we would tell him that she didn't want to tell him about her havin' a boyfriend over the phone.

It would make sense for her to want to tell her father in person about her new boyfriend since he was part of the family that she seems to be angry with. I didn't know the whole story and neither did the Major but I have a feelin' that something bad happened after the family up and left. So, with that plan set up, I called 911.

I just hope that the ambulance would get here before her dad did. Since he was at home, it would probably take longer for him to get the news that his daughter had been injured. The Major tried to argue sayin' he would just take his mate some place to keep her safe. Peter was finally able to get him to see reason.

We didn't need her dad stirring up things and send out a huntin' party looking for her. The wolf pack was another reason to not just take her. They would come after us, and while none of us would have a problem killin' any of them, Bella would probably end up hatin' us for doin' just that. She seemed to care about their furry asses.

The ambulance came and we explained that we were friends of Bella that had come down with her from Seattle. The story was that she was on the phone with me when a deer ran in front of the truck. I know this because she yelled it out before losing control of the truck and hittin' the tree. She was thrown out of the truck, and had hit her head on somethin'.

Fortunately, the boys had the insight to have gotten a truck of their own so, the story was, we decided to try to find her before callin' anyone else. They bought it of course, and the police said that everything appeared to have happened pretty much like we told them.

They rushed Bella to the hospital, with the Major ridin' in the ambulance with her. They didn't normally allow that to happen, but Major has his ways of convincin' them to do things his way. He wasn't gonna leave her if he could help it.

Peter and I drove the truck, following right behind them. One of the officers said that he would stop by Charlie's and tell him about Bella. I knew things were about to get interestin', with Charlie not knowin' about us or the Major, Bella not knowin' about the fact that the Major and her were mates, and now the threat that had followed her here. That, mixed in with the fact that there were a bunch of dogs that wanted us as dog chow, and were friends with the Major's mate; yep, things were about to get real interestin'.

**Charlie's POV**

I was watching the game on TV but I have to admit, my mind wasn't on the game. Bella has been gone way too long to just be running to pick up a few things. I know her, and she never takes this long to get food and get back home. I was beginning to become worried.

I heard a knock on the door and as I went to answer it, I wondered why Bella would need to knock, unless her hands were full. But it wasn't Bella. No, one of my best officers was standing there. His name was Dan and I could actually see him taking my place someday, once I retired.

As soon as I saw him I swear, my heart stopped. I had done exactly what he was doing right now at least a few dozen times since I became chief of police. He was here to tell me that either my baby girl was hurt, or dead. Since he was able to look me in the eye, I'm pretty sure that she's not dead, yet.

Sure enough she was on her way to the hospital. Dan didn't know much except to say that if it hadn't of been for her friends, she might not have been found so quickly. Of course Paul, and some of the others must have met her, not having seen her for months now.

Dan knew Paul though and I was kind of confused as to why he wouldn't just tell me that Paul or some of the others from the rez had gone to meet her. I questioned him, and he informed me that these were friends he had never seen before with the exception of one.

What he told me made my blood run cold, and my temper run hot. He was pretty sure that the one taking care of my baby was one of the Cullen boys. He had never met them but then hardly anyone in town had ever actually met any of them, but everyone knew who they were when they saw them.

If it was one of them, there was going to be trouble. I was pretty sure that Edward had something to do with Renee and Phil's murders. Yeah, they were brutally murdered, and a neighbor described someone that had reddish messy hair, that sounds a lot like him.

Whoever these friends of hers were, they all went to the hospital according to Dan. If that bastard is anywhere near my baby girl, I'm going to forget that I'm the chief of police. Shit, I might even forget that I'm humane.

Every single one of those Cullens are responsible for nearly destroying Bella, and I'm pretty fucking sure that at least Edward was forcing himself on Bella, making her do things, and making her stay with him. I think he was threatening to do something to her mom and Phil, if she didn't do as she was told.

I heard him tell her many times that he didn't want her doing certain things because it was dangerous for her. I'm thinking that it was more like it was dangerous for Bella's mom. There had better not be a fucking Cullen anywhere near her.

I got to the hospital as quickly as I could. The receptionist told me what room she was in. Apparently, she was unconscious when they brought her in and she still was. I asked if her friends were still with her, and they told me that they were only allowing two at a time to stay with her.

As soon as I got to her room I noticed a huge guy standing outside of her door. There was something familiar about him, and it only took me a moment to figure out that he looked almost like one of the Cullens. He had the same "beauty", the same perfect features.

I asked him what he was doing and he explained that he was a friend of Bella's and had come down from Seattle with her along with his girlfriend, and brother. I asked him if he was one of the ones that found her and he just nodded yes.

I opened the door and my eyes fell immediately on Bella who was still out. I could see bruises on her arms, at least the part that was showing. I took a step towards her when I noticed a figure standing next to the bed on the opposite side from where I was standing.

As soon as I looked into his face, I knew, he was a fucking Cullen and I was going to mess him up royally for even being close to my baby girl. How dare he after what his fucking family did to her. I'm pretty sure that Bella didn't even know he was here, if she did, she would have kicked his ass, and sent him packing.

"What in the hell are you doing here, Cullen?" my voice sounded angry.

"Sir, I'm no longer a Cullen. I left the family shortly after we left Forks. The name's Whitlock, and I no longer associate with any of the Cullens."

"I don't care what the hell you call yourself. Your family nearly destroyed my daughter when you left her, without saying a word. Then, Edward decides that he needs to hurt her even more and kills her mother, and Phil, her step-father."

"Excuse me, my name is Charlotte and I'm a close friend of Bella's. Did I just hear you correctly? Are you sayin' that Edward killed them?"

I was getting even angrier and was almost yelling at this point, "I know for a fact that he did. He was threatening Bella, and decided to just go ahead and kill them anyway. While I don't have proof, yet, I do have a lady who saw Edward go in, and then come out a couple of hours later. They were found dead, the next morning."

I turned then and told Cullen to get the hell out of my daughter's room. The bastard had the audacity to growl at me, at least that's what it sounded like to me. Then he told me he wasn't leaving until, or unless Bella told him to. That was the last straw.

I headed straight for him with my fist ready to connect to his pretty face. Yeah, I was gonna fuck his ass up good. . .

**A/N Please let me know your thoughts. What do you think will happen if Charlie hits the Major? A huge thank you to those who sent guest reviews, as well as all of the other reviewers. I tried to answer the ones that were the longest, but I probably missed a few. With working two jobs, I have to chose whether to write or reply to reviews, so I chose to write. Hope you are alright with that. Thanks to everyone who added this story to their favorites and alerts.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N A huge thanks to my beta twilightaddict71484 for making this a better read, and my pre-reader OoJasper'sAngeloO she helped with ideas. Love ya, girls. This chapter of course we find out what happens with Charlie. Hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. **

**Bella's POV**

As I was waking up I was feeling really confused. Where in the hell am I, and why is dad yelling and who is he yelling at? My whole body was feeling sore, and aching, like it had been tossed around like a bean bag. Oh wait, that's exactly what happened.

The last thing I remember was seeing the strange vampire. He knocked the back of my head against a tree, and that's where everything went black. I was brought back fully with dad yelling at someone, and it took me a few seconds to realize he was yelling at Jasper.

I heard Jasper telling dad that he wasn't leaving until, or unless I told him to. I heard dad yelling again for him to leave, and then Jasper growling. Shit, if I didn't stop this dad could get hurt just trying to protect me, at least to his way of thinking.

When I raised up enough to see what was going on, I saw dad with his fist raised and about to head towards Jasper. I yelled, "Dad! Please stop. Jasper hasn't done anything to me except try to help me."

I couldn't say anything about the fact that he was protecting me. Dad would have wanted to know the details, and that's something I just can't give him. Not without endangering his life as well.

"Bella, please tell me you don't want this boy here. He's a Cullen, I hope you're not getting yourself involved with that family again. Especially after what they did to you. Do you have any idea young man what my daughter has gone through because of your fucking family? Not to mention the fact that apparently your brother was forcing himself on Bella. Forcing her to stay with him, or he would kill her mother. I also need to tell you. ."

"DAD! Stop right there. I know you're worried about me, and I love you for it, but I haven't told Jasper or Peter and Char about what happened after they left. I hadn't planned on telling them, at least not right now. I'm just getting to know them. I don't know where you came up with the idea that Edward was forcing me, but I can assure you that while he did try to control me, he never threatened me or anyone I know. I never got to know Jasper while he was with the family, Edward wouldn't let me. And before you ask, I have found him to be someone whom I want to be around, so we are dating."

"I can assure you sir, I only have your daughter's best interest at heart. I haven't seen the family since shortly after we left. I left them because I always felt that leavin' the way we did was wrong. I couldn't handle the arguments that were goin' on every day, and I hated Edward even more for makin' us leave, not even lettin' us say good-bye. He actually told us that Bella had told him she wanted nothing more to do with us. So, I left the family, moved back with my brother and his girlfriend, and took back my real name, Whitlock."

"It wasn't until a few weeks ago that they had decided to take some courses in Seattle. I just happen to run into Jasper one night on my way home. It was a good thing too as someone had been following me that night. Jasper just happened to see me, and walked me home. We got to talking, and found out that we have a lot in common. Dad, I really don't care if you approve or not, Jasper is my boyfriend. So, he won't be going anywhere, at least without me." I told dad.

"Wait, did you just say that someone was following you? Do you know who it was, and why? Bella, I know there have been murders, and people missing in Seattle, did someone try to hurt you? Please tell me that you're not planning on going back there, at least until they have caught the killer or killers."

Jasper spoke up, "No sir. She won't be goin' back. At least not until the danger is over. I promised her that I would protect her, and I can do a much better job if she's not in Seattle."

"So, you guys are staying here then? Where will you three be staying? I guess you will probably be staying at the old Cullen house, right?" Dad asked.

"We will be stayin' here for at least a few days and then we're goin' to Texas. That's where the Whitlock ranch is. Bella will be safely away from Seattle, and we can take our time gettin' to know each other. That is if she wants to." Jasper said while looking at me.

Then he looked back at dad and said, "As for where we are stayin', no we're not at the Cullen's place. Like I said before sir, I'm no longer a Cullen. We're stayin' at a hotel just down the road."

Then dad looked at me and asked, "So you're planning on leaving and going to Texas with them?"

I was just about to answer when Jasper beat me to it, "Actually sir, I hadn't had time to speak with Isabella about it. I learned the hard way, talk to her first before makin' plans. But you asked what my intentions were, so since I'm an honest man, I gave you what I want to see happen. No matter what she decides to do, I will stay with her and keep her safe."

"Son, you make it sound like that she's the only one in danger. Is there something you are leaving out? Is someone after my daughter? If so, why and who? I'm willing to bet its that bastard Edward Cullen. He's come back hasn't he? I never did like or trust him. If its him, I can keep you safe Bells. We can stay at the rez, and I know for a fact those boys there would protect you." Dad said and looked at me.

I was starting to get pissed. Both dad, whom I love very much, and Jasper who was becoming more than a friend to me were talking to each other about what I should or shouldn't be doing with my life. I have had enough of being told what I will and will not do from Edward fucking Cullen. I refused to have them talk as if I wasn't here.

As soon as they started going back and forth on what was going on I stepped into the conversation, "Excuse me! I need for both of you to fucking listen to me. I do NOT fucking care what either of you believe to be in my best interest right now. I'm sorry for cussing dad, but it comes out when I'm pissed off, and right now I'm getting really pissed. I understand that both of you seem think that I need to leave, but stop fucking talking about me as if I'm not here. I will decide what I will do, and even _IF_ I will be going anywhere. As for who it is dad, I'm not sure, but I doubt that its fuckward. I'm not important enough for him to be bothered with me, I never was. I'm not even sure that there is someone after me dad, and Jasper you really should talk to me first before telling anyone else what you want me to do. Is that clear? Now someone go and get a fucking doctor, and get me the hell out of here."

**An hour later. . .**

There was no problem getting released from the hospital since it was mostly bruises. Since I really needed to talk to Jasper as well as Char and Peter before saying anything more to dad, I told dad that I would go with them so I could talk to Jasper, then we were to go back to dad's house, and according to dad, "We had better tell him everything that's going on or he would start investigating. Starting in Seattle."

I know that Jasper and the other two could stay out of the radar so to speak but if dad went to Seattle, and since it seemed as if someone really was after me, they could go after him. I was told by Char while getting dressed that if dad went to Seattle, he could be put in danger even more so than he was in right now. Seems that even though his scent is different than mine, its still mixed with a little of my own and they could find him easily.

I realized at the same time that sunk in, that I had put dad in danger by coming here. Whoever was after me, could now go after dad. The real problem was right now, what in the fuck would I tell dad? Obviously, we couldn't tell him the truth, and since he is the chief of police, we couldn't really say that there was someone after me because then he would start an investigation.

What I just couldn't figure out is who was after me? Victoria is dead, her mate James was killed by Jasper, and there is no one else left that I knew of. Maybe it was someone who just found me mouthwatering, and wanted my blood. If that's the case, why go through the trouble of creating a newborn army?

With a promise to meet at dad's house the next afternoon we went our separate ways. Since it was now early morning, I was exhausted, and my body hurt everywhere. I told dad that I would go back to the hotel with Jasper, get some rest, and then after talking to Jasper we would then go to dad's and talk to him.

I had a feeling that we might have to end up telling dad more than he would be safe knowing. I also had the problem of the wolf pack. I had promised to meet with Paul later this afternoon, but when they found out I had been attacked by a vampire, it was going to be hard to keep them from at least trying to fight Jasper, Peter, and Char. The thought of Jasper getting hurt, brought a pain in my chest that hurt worse than the rest of my body.

On the way back to the hotel, Jasper and I were in the back seat. I was in Jasper's lap, with his arms wrapped around me. I noticed that he pretty much kept his nose in my neck and I could tell that he was inhaling my scent. It seems to calm him, which he has been anything but calm since I woke up.

Yet I could feel that there was an underlying emotion in him that just didn't fit for Jasper. It took me a bit of time but I finally realized that it was fear. I decided to call him out on it and asked him why he was feeling like that. His words sent a chill up my spine, "I could have lost you last night. I just found you, and it would kill me to lose you again. Like I told you once before, my only fear is in losing you."

I stared into his almost black eyes and it was then that I realized that Jasper was thirsty, "You guys didn't hunt did you?"

Peter spoke up, "Naw, we had just gotten there and decided to go check out your apt. before catchin' a meal. Someone, namely a vampire, had gone through your things. Everything was pretty much destroyed. That's why Jasper told your dad what he did about us takin' ya to Texas. We decided to follow the scent and it didn't take us long to figure out who ever it was, was comin' this way. They had gone through your address book by your phone, it was open to your dad's address. That's when we called Char."

"Wait, you mean to tell me that who ever it is knows where my dad lives? I need to call the pack and ask them to watch my dad's house. We can't leave him defenseless. Where's my phone? I need a phone, Peter, turn this fucking truck around and take me back to dad's now!"

Apparently, my phone had been destroyed when my truck was. Jasper pulled his out of his pocket and gave it to me, but Peter just kept going, I needed to get to dad's so I yelled at him to turn the truck around or I was going to have Char, rip his ass apart. I suddenly felt some calm flow over me, and while it worked only a little, I knew that if I were to call the pack they would want to know about my attack, and I wasn't ready or feeling up to stopping another fight.

I called dad instead. He answered on the third ring. He had been getting ready to hit the sack. There was something about the sound of his voice that, that made me think that he was doing something that he didn't want me to know about. He was in a hurry to get me off of the phone.

I decided to call Billy instead of Paul. That way I could tell him that the pack needed to be alert, and watch dad's house. It didn't matter that he was probably asleep, the pack needed to watch dad's back, just in case the vampire came back.

I quickly explained what Jasper and Peter had found at my apt. and told him that someone needed to watch dad's place for any sign of strange vampires. He promised that he would tell Paul, as soon as he could get a hold of him. They were out patrolling.

As soon as we got to the hotel, I was placed on the bed by Jasper who was refusing to let me walk. I told both Jasper and Peter that they needed to go hunt or finish their hunt. Jasper of course was refusing to go. I was finally able to get them to promise to go after I fell asleep.

I was hungry since I hadn't had dinner the night before, so Char was going to stay with me while they went hunting for food for me. I knew that we needed to decide what to tell dad. I was beginning to fear that we would need to tell him the truth, all of it. I just couldn't see dad letting anything go, not if he thought I was in danger.

While waiting for the guys to get back with my food, I sat on the bed and just started trying to decide what to do. I knew I couldn't go back to Seattle, at least not right now. Jasper had made it clear that he would keep me safe, even if it meant going to Texas. But right now, I was more frightened for dad. I couldn't leave him here to be killed, and I wasn't really wanting to put the pack in danger once again.

I finally noticed that Char was rubbing her chest. I was wondering what that was all about until I saw her face. She was clearly in pain. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that she was missing her mate. It was then that I realized that while the pain in my body did hurt, the pain in my chest was the worst. I was also feeling empty. Like I was missing something.

A few minutes later the guys came in with a hamburger, fries, a salad. Along with breakfast burritos, pancakes, sausage, orange juice, coffee, and milk. I frowned upon seeing all of the food. There was no way I could eat all of this, "Hey Petey, you planning on fattening me up before making me a snack?"

Jasper growled at this, and came over to me. Wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer to his body, he whispered, "The only one around here that's gonna be snackin' on ya, is me; and I can promise ya darlin' it won't be your blood I'll be lickin'."

I think my panties just got soaked. I looked up into Jasper's eyes and they were black, but it wasn't a cold black from anger. It was like there was a storm raging in his eyes, almost like a black fire. The lust in those eyes had me even wetter, and Jasper had me pinned against the wall before I could even blink.

It was Char that interrupted and reminded Jasper that my body needed to heal. He quickly whispered that we would continue this when my body was healed. It was then that I realized the pain in my chest was gone. So was the empty feeling. There was something more going on, something I was missing. It felt like it was right in front of me, but I just couldn't see it.

As I laid in bed with Jasper's arms around me, I started thinking about it. I just wish I could put my finger on it, I should know what it is. I fell asleep before I could come up with anything. My dreams were good ones, all of Jasper and I being together. Just wish my dreams could tell me what I'm missing. . .

**A/N Please let me know what you think. Think she's close to figuring it out yet? Next chapter we find out some of what Bella was dreaming about, we also find out that her dreams are more real than she thinks.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N A special thanks to OoJasper'sAngeloO who did the beta work on this chapter as my other beta has disappeared. A strong warning, there is some gore in this chapter. It is gruesome and it will be when Bella goes into the house. Please don't read if you can't handle it.**

**I still do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Bella's POV**

I was having the most amazing dream about Jasper. I saw him standing on top of a cliff. His jeans were dirty and torn like he had been in a fight. His shirt, a flannel button up, was undone completely and blowing away from his body in the wind. His expression was hard, and feral.

I had never seen anything so hot, and watching him just stand there like that had me so turned on. He was looking at something that I couldn't see. He suddenly turned and was coming straight to me. I was wanting to touch him, taste him and at first I was sure that he wanted the same from me. It changed as soon as he got to me.

His expression was still hard but it was his words that brought an ice cold fear, "Isabella, do not go in there. You don't want to see him like this."

He tried to stop me, but for some reason he couldn't. I felt myself running. I wasn't sure where I was running to but it wasn't long before I saw a house. It wasn't a house that I had ever seen, but somehow I knew my dad was in there so I ran inside.

All I could see was blood. It was everywhere. I didn't touch anything but when I looked down, there was blood all over my hands. Suddenly I heard a very familiar voice. It was my dad's voice and when I looked up he was standing a few feet away.

How he was standing I wasn't sure because his body was mangled, and his throat had been torn out. He just looked at me with sadness in his eyes and said, "Bells, that's my blood on your hands. Why did you kill me?" I screamed!

I'm still not sure what woke me up except that I was screaming. Char came flying into the room ready to take on my attacker. It took both of us a minute or so to realize that there was no one else in the room. I told Char that I needed to get to my dad's house right now.

She tried to argue with me saying to at least wait until she could call the Major and have him go with me. I explained that I couldn't wait, Dad was in danger and I needed to make sure he was safe. She reminded me that since I was only human, I couldn't protect my dad from a vampire.

I told her that I would call to see if the wolf pack was watching the house, but I was still going. I called Billy and he explained that he had told Paul and they were patrolling around dad's house. He also told me that they have been seeing a lot of strange vampires in the area in the last twelve hours.

I told him that I was with three vampires now that were trying to keep me safe but I felt like my dad was in danger. He said he would try to contact one of the wolves to make sure there was extra protection for my dad.

With that I hung up and told Char, "Now, you either fucking take me to my dad's house or I'm going alone. Either way I'm going right now!"

I knew she wanted me to wait until she could get in touch with Jasper, but I was really frightened for dad. I needed to see for myself that he was alright. She quickly grabbed the keys to the truck and we took off like a couple of bats out of hell.

**Jasper's POV**

I had just dropped the piece of scum I had drained. As far as I was concerned he was the lowest of the lowlife. Peter had an inkling of where he was holed up. He had kidnapped and sexually assaulted several children. He would use them for days and then kill them when he was done with them.

There were actually a couple of little girls that he still had captive in his cellar. One looked to be about twelve and the other couldn't be any older than five. Yeah, he was one sick bastard. This was one body that would stay here. We just set it up to look like a robbery gone bad.

The police would get an anonymous phone call and they would be told to check the cellar. We couldn't let the girls see us, but they were very scared. I sent them some calm and a feeling of safety, before putting them to sleep. At least they would sleep in their own beds tonight, thanks to us monsters.

We waited for the police to arrive, out of sight. We wanted to make sure they found the girls. I just wish they would hurry the fuck up. The pain in my chest was bad, I needed to get back to Bella. I didn't like being so far away from her.

The police had just pulled up when the pain hit me even harder. I was just about to call Char to check on her when the pain hit. I fell to my knees and dropped my phone. Peter I guess knew something had happened and told me to just go. He did throw his phone at me in case I needed it.

I took off back towards Forks. Something felt wrong. I knew that I hadn't bonded with my mate yet, but this felt like there was one already there. I pushed my legs to go faster. It was as if my own life depended on getting back to her. I just fuckin' hope that whatever is wrong doesn't end up killing me.

**Peter's POV**

As soon as I saw the police come out with the two girls I took off after my brother. My "knower" was goin' off like crazy now. Something was wrong and I could only hope that the Major would get there in time. Where ever "there" was. It wasn't the hotel we were stayin' at.

I had ran for about five minutes when Jasper's phone went off. Shit, it was Alice. I guess she might have more information so I decided to answer, "What do you know Alice?"

"Where's Jasper Peter? I need to talk to him, now!"

"He's not available right now Alice. Did you call for a reason, or just to piss him off again?"

"Peter please, this is not about me. Are you still in Seattle checking on those deaths? If you are Jasper needs to find Bella's place and check to make sure she's okay. I just had a vision of a vampire grabbing her."

"As usual Alice you are too little, too late. She was already grabbed by a vampire. Char was able to chase the bastard off. She had a few bruises but otherwise she's fine."

"What about all of the blood I saw surrounding Bella?"

"Well, there wasn't much blood when the vampire was done, so I have no clue what you are talking about. I can tell ya that Bella has found her mate in the Major. He's protectin' her himself, and you know from the stories I'm sure, that he's one dangerous motherfucker."

"I hope you realize that Edward is Bella's mate. Peter, if the Major believes Bella is his mate you have to convince him that he's wrong. He could hurt her if he's as dangerous as I've been told. Bella could never be attracted to him, she still loves Edward, they are mates after all."

I really didn't have time for this shit, but I couldn't really say anything to Alice. You see, the Major knew that if other vampires knew who he was, they would keep coming to fight him. So, while Alice and the rest of the Cullen's know that Jasper did fight in Maria's army, they have no clue that he IS the Major. They believe that Jasper fought along side the Major.

"Peter, please, just have Jasper check on Bella and see if he'll get her away from the Major before he hurts her. I keep seeing blood all around her. I'll get in touch with Edward and have him come pick her up from where ever Jasper takes her to keep her safe. I'll probably come with him to try to convince Jasper that he needs to stop being silly and come home."

Again, I didn't have fuckin' time for this fucked up shit. I just told her I would pass the message along and hung up. It was only a few minutes later that the phone rang again. This time it was Char. She was trying to get in touch with the Major.

At first all I could hear were screams. No, it was more like wailin'. Char was frantic and yelled for us to hurry up and get to Charlie's house. I heard her drop the phone, and then nothing.

It took me a few minutes but I finally caught up to the Major and told him everything that Alice had said, and then about the call from Char. I never thought I would ever see a look of fear on the Major's face, but it was there now. I could only hope that both of our mates were alright.

**Bella's POV**

Char was driving way too fucking slow for me. It felt like the drive to dad's house was taking forever. She was going over the speed limit, so she wasn't really going slow at all. It just felt like I needed to get to dad's faster.

I was told by Billy that Paul and the rest of the pack was watching dad's place, but I didn't like the feeling that something wasn't right. I had been trying to call dad since we left the hotel but he wasn't answering. He should have answered since he was off today, and was expecting me to be home. The closer we got to the house the more frightened I became for my dad. Something was very wrong.

Once we got to the house I realized that I couldn't see any of the wolves. Of course they would have to hide as it was early afternoon. Dad's cruiser was in the driveway so I knew he was home. Just as I was about to open the door Char stopped me.

"Bella, I need you to stay in the truck. I'm going to go in and check things out."

"I don't fucking think so, this is my dad and I'm going in!"

"Please Bella, just do as I ask. I'll call Jasper but you need to let me go in first."

"Why?" was my brilliant answer.

"I smell blood Bella. Just stay in the truck until I come and get you."

I wasn't stupid. I knew that I couldn't get past her, so I told her I would wait. I would wait, until she was inside and then go in after her. I did ask her if she could smell the wolves close by. The next words out of her mouth made me even more determined to go inside, "The wolves are not here right now, but they were. There are also several different vampire scents around."

Char got out and I waited until she was inside and then jumped out and ran in behind her. I could hear my dad's voice yelling at me to run. To make Jasper take me and run. I went straight into the house and then froze.

There was blood everywhere. On the walls, floors, and furniture. I looked around frantically and finally saw something that made my stomach heave, and I lost most of the contents of my last meal. There, on a table right next to the TV, was my dad's head. His eyes had been ripped out of their sockets.

There was a video playing on the TV. Who ever had done this had it recorded. My dad was being tortured, but I couldn't see the one who was responsible for this. I just started screaming. Not my dad! He was all I have left in the world! He's the only one who will never leave me!

I know that as soon as I'm out of danger that Jasper and his friends are going to leave me. I'm just a plain fucking human. They have no reason to stay around. Maybe I should just let this vampire have me. There's no one else left to miss me, I'm all alone now.

I could hear some kind of strange sound and it took me a couple of minutes to realize that the sound was coming from me. I was half screaming, half choking. Suddenly I felt myself being carried out of the house. I started to fight who ever it was until I realized it was only Char.

She had her arms around me, holding me close to her chest. I could hear her talking and I think she said something about she had called the Major and he was on his way. I wasn't sure if I was hearing correctly, because my head was spinning, and my stomach heaved again and I lost the rest of my stomach contents.

She kept saying how sorry she was. I couldn't understand why she was sorry, she hadn't killed my dad. What I couldn't figure out was where were the wolves? They should have been here, protecting him.

I collapsed on the ground and just screamed and sobbed. My dad was gone, he had been my rock for the last five years. Now, when I needed him the most, he was gone. He was stolen from me. I lost it, and just kept screaming.

Char was doing her best to console me, but for me there isn't any more peace. How could I have come here and put Charlie in danger? This was all my fault. I needed Jasper. I hated that I needed him, but I did.

I don't know how long I sat there in the rain, crying and screaming. I do know that I suddenly felt strong arms wrap around me gently and pick me. I was in Jasper's arms and I felt better. He didn't try to move he just held me while I cried.

I did hear him talking to Peter and then Peter and Char went in the house. He kept saying how fucking sorry he was that he didn't get here in time.

He finally carried me to the truck and got in the back with me. He put me in his lap and just continued to hold me. I don't know how long we sat there but eventually, Peter and Char came back out.

I could hear them talking but I wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying. It didn't matter anyway. My dad was gone. I finally came to the conclusion that this was all Edward's fault. If he hadn't left, then those that I loved and called family would still be alive. The family could have taken care of Victoria and then everyone would still be here.

I heard Peter say something that made my blood run cold. Not for fear for myself, but fear that Jasper, Peter, or Char might get hurt or killed because of me. He told Jasper that there had been a message left for me, it said, "Welcome home Bella, you're next!"

**A/N Please let me know your thoughts. I know that there were those who didn't want Charlie to have to be turned or killed because he had to be told the truth. As you can see, it didn't get that far. I hated to kill Charlie but its necessary to get the story to go where I need it to go. Bella will find out later why her dad thought that Edward had killed Renee because he was threatening her to keep Bella with him. Thanks to all who reviewed, and added this story to their favorites and alerts. I love you guys.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N A super huge thanks goes to OoJasper'sAngeloO for not only doing the beta work but giving me the poem she wrote for Bella to recite. Thank you girl, I love you. Warning, you may need tissue for this one. Hope you enjoy.**

**Bella's POV**

The next few hours were a blur, at least to me. In order to keep the human police from investigating there had to be a cover up. There was no way a human could have done the damage to dad's body that had been done, so an accident had to be staged.

There was an explosion inside the house, but before that could happen though, Peter and Char went through the house and grabbed pictures, books, and things they thought I would want as mementos. Then they rigged the house to explode so violently that dad's body would be mostly destroyed.

I cried until there was nothing left in my tear ducts. After that I became numb. I watched as Peter and Char loaded up the truck with the stuff they had taken from the house. Jasper kept telling me how very sorry he was that he hadn't been here to stop dad from being tortured and killed.

Before they actually let the house explode, Peter told Jasper that he should go into the house to see if he recognized the scent. They already knew that one of the scents belonged to the one that had been in my apartment. I vaguely recall grasping Jasper's shirt as he tried to pull away to go in. I also heard someone screaming.

Peter finally brought something out that was covered in this vampire's scent. Jasper said that the scent was familiar but he couldn't be sure of whom it was. I heard Jasper ask someone where the "fuckin' wolves" were at.

It suddenly dawned on me that they were supposed to have been guarding, and watching dad's house, so where the fuck were they? I began to become worried about them. What if the vampire that had killed dad had managed to kill the wolves? But if that was the case, where were the bodies?

I heard Jasper and Peter talking about the message that had been left for me. I wasn't really paying much attention, at least we now knew for a fact that some vampire was after me but who could it be? I kept hearing everyone talking but it felt as if I was hearing them from far away.

As soon as they were ready to blow the house Jasper wanted to take me back to the hotel but I refused to go. I needed to find out why the pack wasn't here to protect my dad. I asked Jasper if he would call Billy and let him know what had happened with dad and to see if he knew where the fucking wolves were at.

I just couldn't talk to anyone right now. But I could listen. That's exactly what I did, "I need to speak to Billy Black. This is an emergency. This is Jasper Whitlock; I used to live with the Cullen's. Bella asked me to call and speak with Billy."

He was quiet for a minute before going on, "Is he alright? He didn't get bitten did he?"

I was starting to freak out. He was quiet for another few seconds before going on, "I see. Have you heard from the rest of the pack? I have some very bad news, maybe I should talk to the Alpha of the pack."

He was again quiet for a bit before speaking up, "Maybe it would be best to talk to Billy."

After a few more seconds I heard Jasper talking again, "Billy Black? I'm sorry to hear about Seth but there is something that I think you should know. Where is the rest of the pack?"

"Good, maybe they'll be able to catch the vampires but I'm not calling about them. I'm here at Charlie's house with Bella and well I think you should know that well, Charlie is dead. He was killed by the vampire that is after Bella."

He stopped talking for a few minutes and seemed to be listening. Then he said good-bye and hung up. I heard Jasper telling Peter and Char that apparently Seth had run into a few newborns and it was just him and Leah. They were able to destroy them, but Seth had some injuries. They took him back to the reservation, and were waiting for him to heal. It wasn't bad, but as far as they knew, some of the pack were here protecting Charlie's house while the rest were chasing vampires.

Shortly after the phone call the house exploded. That was it, now I didn't even have a home any more. I couldn't go back to my apt. I had nowhere to live, and no one to live for. I decided right then that as soon as the funeral was over I was sending Jasper and his friends on their way.

I was not going to wait around knowing that he would be leaving me as soon as this vampire was no longer a threat to me. It would hurt too much, and I just wanted the pain to stop. I would just let this vampire have me. Since I would end up more alone than I had ever been, what did it matter? No one would miss me.

The police and the fire department showed up shortly after the explosion. The story was that we had just arrived when the house exploded. As far as we knew dad was in the house when it blew. Jasper asked if he could take me to his hotel room. They had no problem with me going but I sure as fuck did.

I needed to wait until they had official word that dad was gone. It wasn't that I didn't believe him to be dead; I just wanted to make sure that they wouldn't find any problems as to how he actually died. I also needed to find out where in the fuck the wolves were at, and why they weren't watching the house like they planned on doing.

We sat there for hours watching them try to put out the fire. It was burning hotter than normal; at least that's what one of the firemen said. I guess they needed to make sure that there was no evidence left as to what really took place. This was one time that I was truly grateful for the humans being around.

The fucking wolves decided to show themselves. They had to be nice to Jasper, Char, and Peter. They couldn't phase and attack like I knew they wanted to do. Right now, I didn't fucking care what they wanted; if they had been here, maybe my dad would still be alive.

It was fucking Paul who decided to tell the vampires what they would be doing, "Bella, you need to come over to us. One of the others will take you to the rez. You'll be safe there until we can catch and kill the leeches responsible for this. We also need to take care of these three. I'm thinking that they are the ones responsible for this. They came here and their friends followed them."

None of the vampires said a word, they just moved in front of me as if they would protect me from the pack. They were growling at Paul and I could tell if I didn't intervene a fight would break out. I also needed to let Paul know that I wasn't going anywhere with their furry asses, they should have been here for dad.

Paul wasn't done talking, "Come Bella, we'll protect you from these, and all the other leeches here. We won't let them keep you from us. Just walk on over here and then we'll leave."

"We are not now, nor have we ever held Bella against her will. She seems to want our company, and until she tells us otherwise, we will stay with her." Jasper replied quietly.

I saw red then, here were the vampires and wolves talking about me as if I wasn't here, "Paul, I have one question and then I will be leaving with my friends here. WHERE WERE THE WOLVES WHEN DAD WAS BEING TORTURED?" I screamed.

"I'm truly sorry about that, but you have to understand that there were maybe thirty, forty, vampires here. We had to stop them from killing the other humans here. We left Seth and Leah here to watch over Charlie. Actually we left six wolves here. It took awhile to find out exactly what happened but leeches were coming from everywhere, and so to destroy them the wolves went after them two at a time. We always thought that Charlie was safe, being protected. It wasn't until Leah brought Seth to the rez that we even knew he had been left alone."

This was when Billy showed up having been brought here by Emily. He was helped out and then he came over to us. He looked so much older than I had ever seen him look. My heart went out to him; first he lost his only son, and now his best friend to vampires. He had been crying, I could tell.

He looked at everyone before looking at me, "Bella, I'm so sorry. The wolves should have been here. Seth is doing better. He explained what happened. It seems that whoever did this knew exactly what to do, and how to make sure that Charlie ended up unprotected. I'm not sure if the one that did this knew you weren't here or not. Since it was a vampire's doing I'm going to assume they knew you weren't there."

It was Jasper who answered, "The vampire that did this left a message for Bella. She is the target. The problem is that we can't figure out who could be doing this. Bella told me that Victoria was killed. Normally I would have to say it was her mate, but I was the one to kill him so it couldn't be a mate thing. Then again it doesn't matter who it is. They murdered a good and honest man just for fun. I know that you can see that the three of us are human drinkers. We only drink from criminals, but even then we are for the most part humane. We kill them quickly. I know this goes against your treaty that you made with the Cullen's, but just keep in mind two things, we are not Cullen's, and our only concern right now is keeping Bella safe. I want to take her to Texas. Hopefully, whoever is after her will lose her trail and we'll have time to plan on how to stop this vampire."

I spoke up then, "If you knew there were that many vampires why didn't you fucking call me. I could have told Jasper and his friends. They would have helped, they probably could have at least kept dad safe. At least they know how to fight, and keep someone safe. You and your pack just fucking figured that you could handle all of the vampires on your own. Because of that, I lost my dad. Just stay away from me. As soon as the funeral is over I'll be leaving with the only ones who seem to know how to keep me safe. You will leave my friends and me alone. Billy please tell Seth that I'm truly sorry he got hurt, and that I would like to talk to him as soon as he's up and around."

With that I turned and walked away. I vaguely recall Jasper picking me up and carrying me to the truck. Everything was a blur over the next few days. The officers wanted to give dad a police funeral. Even though he hadn't died in the line of duty as far as they were concerned he was still a hero to most of Forks.

I was numb and was a mess for the most part. I had periods of crying, then I would become angry, then I had times when I felt nothing, useless, and very much alone. Jasper was taking care of me even to the point of feeding me himself. The only time he left my side was when I needed a human moment or took a shower.

Those times were bad on me. As soon as he left the room I would feel the pain in my chest, but it was the feeling of loneliness that bothered me the most. I felt like I had lost something. As soon as I was back in the same room as Jasper both the feeling and the pain would stop.

He tried to calm me down at couple of times but I turned on him and told him that I needed to feel what I was feeling. Even though it was only the times that I became hysterical, I still needed to go through my feelings. He was smart enough to know that the only way I could heal was to feel my own emotions and let them out when I needed to.

The day of the funeral came and it was about an hour before we had to leave to get to the church were the funeral was being held. After a short service in which several of his friends would get up and talk about how Charlie's life had affected them, we would all go to the cemetery where they would do a twenty-one gun salute, and then present me with the flag that covered his coffin. I would be receiving his badge as well. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to put in the coffin.

I knew that the wolves would be there, but I didn't have to talk to them or be around them. I was told that Seth would be there and that I could speak with him then. The one thing that I absolutely couldn't do was the one thing that Jasper kept insisting that I needed to do and that was tell him what happened after the family had left.

He knew parts but not the whole story. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Especially now that my dad was dead. He had been hurt almost as much as I had because he had to watch me and had no clue how to help me. Maybe once I was away from here, and let some time go by then I could do it.

We got to the church early. I wanted to be there before everyone else got there. I just didn't want everyone staring at me as I came in. I sat in the front where the family was supposed to sit, and tried to calm myself down. Jasper kept an arm around me, mostly to support me I figured.

The church ended up being crowded. There were actually those who had to stand. It felt good knowing that my dad had this many people who cared about him. Several of his fellow officers went up and told stories of different things they saw Charlie do, or what he had done for them. Billy Black went up and talked about some of the funny things that happened when they went fishing together, as well as how Charlie helped him when Jacob had been killed.

Now it was my turn to get up. I had written something that would tell everyone how much my dad had meant to me. I normally hate being in front of people and having to say anything, but this was for my dad and I needed to do this for him. So I got up and started, "I want to say Thank you for coming and saying good-bye and for your support. I wrote this just for this time. I only hope that dad is somewhere listening, and enjoys this poem that I wrote."

"_Shrouded in mist, the sun emerged while you held me weeping,_

_Your sighs mingled with my sobs._

_Chanting a woeful first love's tale,_

_You were there for me then._

_Harshly the midday sun scorched as we stood facing each other,_

_Scars of verbal battle deeply etched._

_Hurting, wounding carelessly,_

_You were there still._

_Subtle hues of pinks,_

_Blue covered twilight skies._

_Amicable silence tells of love, understanding,_

_We were there for each other._

_Moonlight floods your darkened room,_

_I held your picture, weeping._

_My sobs, chanted a poignant farewell,_

_You were there for me always._

_I love you daddy."_

At this point I broke down. Jasper had to come up and carry me back to the pew. Jasper refused to set me down, he held me in his lap, as I wept for my dad, as well as for all of the pain I had caused him over the years.

I don't really remember the ride to the cemetery. But what happened there, I will never forget. I got out of the car and I heard Jasper's hiss, and growl before seeing them.

Standing there not twenty feet from me were two people that I had hoped to never see again. Of all the ones that had hurt me, I think it was these two who had hurt me the most in one way. They had often told me that I was just as much their daughter as the rest of the "kids" were. Yet, they agreed to leave me without even so much as a word. I had been a distraction for them as well as the asshole who claimed to love me.

Standing there with sad looks on their faces were Carlisle, and Esme Cullen. At this point I wasn't the only one about to attack. . .

**A/N Please let me know your thoughts. Next chapter, we hear Bella's story and a secret is almost revealed. Thanks to all of the reviews, and those who added this story to their favorites and alerts. Love you guys.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N A huge thanks to OoJasper'sAngeloO for her beta work on this chapter. I'm so sorry for the lateness of posting this chapter but like I said, I went on vacation and had no internet so I couldn't post this chapter until now. This chapter we find out what happened to Renee and Phil as well as Jake and Sam. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Bella's POV**

The rage that I felt upon seeing Carlisle and Esme was more than overwhelming. I wanted to tear into them for even daring to show their faces here, now. I have never been a person of violence, but I really wanted to just rip them apart.

I turned my back on them and went to where I was supposed to sit. This was a formal police funeral, so I had to sit in a certain seat in order to receive the Flag that was draped over dad's coffin, and his badge. At my request they would also allow my friends to sit with me.

The ceremony was short and I was so grateful that Jasper had wrapped his arms around me. After the ceremony was over, I just continued to sit and weep. People were coming and telling me how sorry they were for my loss. I would just nod, I couldn't talk. It all just seemed so pointless.

When they handed me the Flag, and dad's badge I held both close to my heart and wept. I hated more than anything all the time that was stolen from being able to spend time with him. It hadn't been until after Jake had been killed that I was able to fully heal.

I couldn't believe that I had wasted so much of my time with my dad mourning the loss of Edward and his family as well. When I realized that I had once again lost someone I truly cared about, namely Jake, I began to realize that I needed to get better, not only for myself, but for my dad and for Jake as well. Otherwise, his death was for nothing.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Jasper asking if I was ready to leave. I looked around and saw that we were alone, and knew that we should probably leave as well. I hadn't really made any decisions yet except that I didn't want to be away from Jasper. That was the only thing I knew for sure, I needed him and I hated myself for having this need.

Everyone that I loved has left me. Some, of their own choosing, others through death. I shouldn't feel this way about Jasper, it was dangerous, at least to me. It wasn't a matter of if he would leave me, but a matter of when he would leave.

But right now, he was here, and he was taking care of me and I would let him for now. It didn't seem as if I had any choice in the matter. All three of them had stayed by my side throughout this whole ordeal. At night, Jasper would lay down with me and help keep the nightmares away.

It was the nights when I felt the safest. I was wrapped up in Jasper's arms. The pain was gone, and it made me feel like someone cared. The thing is that I was always told how dangerous he is. I never really had a chance to find out.

Oh, I know he tried to attack me or at least that's what everyone believes. Me, I saw the look in Edward's eyes. It was the look of a very thirsty vampire. Somehow, I just can't seem to make myself believe that I would have died by Jasper's hand or teeth. Until I was thrown into the glass.

Again I was asked if I was ready to leave. I started to get up but suddenly I was being picked up and carried. Before we made it to the truck though I heard Jasper growling, and Peter's exclamation of "Oh shit!"

I was put down and then I looked at the truck which is where Jasper was looking. Of course there was Carlisle and Esme waiting I'm guessing for us. How dare they show up, and even worse want to talk. I know that something happened and Jasper left the family. Maybe they were just wanting to talk to him and ask him to come back.

Jasper put me down and I could feel the tension in the air. Jasper wasn't happy to see them either. I could not only see, but feel that Jasper was as angry as I was about seeing them. I didn't know what was going to happen but I had feeling that it wasn't going to be good.

Carlisle and Esme slowly walked towards us and started to speak, "Bella we are so sorry about Charlie. We wanted to come and offer our condolences. We heard about it on the news. Alice also told us that the Major had you, and had asked Jasper to get you away from him, we are both grateful to you Jasper, that you were able to get her away. I assume that he was the one that killed Charlie?"

I was about to ask him what the fuck he was talking about but Jasper cut me off, "What are you two doing here? Really? I heard what you said, but you haven't shown your faces around here since you left. Why now?"

"Alice said that since Charlie was dead that maybe Bella could come back with us. You too Jasper, you and Alice would be able to work on building up your relationship and probably become even stronger. Edward could come home and then maybe you and he could reconcile your differences." Esme explained while looking at me when she spoke about Edward.

I was seeing red. How fucking dare they presume that I would want to go back and be led around like a fucking pet by their asshole of a son. But there was something else that was bothering me even more than that and that was what she had said about Jasper getting back with Alice. I felt the pain in my chest spike.

Unfortunately, Carlisle wasn't done, "Of course Jasper your friends are welcome to join us, we could all become a family once more. Your diet will have to change obviously. But you did it before and I have no doubt that you'll do it again. After all, you'll have Alice to help you."

"Carlisle, what the fuck are you talking about? I would never go back to Alice, she's not my mate. She never has been, and I sure as fuck don't want to go back to what she tried to turn me into. Besides, I have already found my true mate. So no matter what fucking shit Alice told you, I won't go back to her." Jasper replied.

The pain I felt when he said that he had already found his true mate actually hurt worse than anything I had ever felt before. Even when Edward had said what he did in the forest that day didn't hurt as bad as this did.

I knew that he would be leaving me. I'm sure that he is only protecting me out of guilt for attacking me on my birthday. Once the danger is over, he'll leave me to go back to her whoever it is, but if he's found his true mate, then why did he kiss me, and practically have sex in the truck in front of dad's?

I didn't have time to dwell on this as Carlisle said something that really pissed me off, "Bella, why don't you come on over here and we'll take you home with us. It's probably not a good idea to be so close to Jasper, especially since his diet has changed. He can be almost as dangerous as the Major is. You can come home with us. Alice is already in the process of contacting Edward and he'll probably be on his way home as we speak. He's never stopped loving you. I know that you told Edward you wanted nothing to do with us, any of us, but please Bella, come back with us and give us another chance. We all still love you."

"Love, you still love me? Exactly what in the fuck did Edward tell you about when he said good-bye? Because it sounds to me as if his version and mine are totally different. So please Cullens, enlighten me as to what he said happened."

"Bella please don't use such language. As for Edward, he told us that you had finally come to your senses, as he described it, and that you no longer wanted to be a part of our family or have any connections to vampires. You wanted us out of your life forever." Esme replied.

Now, I could only see red, but I was still able to keep my wits about me, "So you just believed him? Just because he said so doesn't make it true. I thought you guys loved me, but now I can see how wrong I was. I don't want to go anywhere with you or your family. Leave me the fuck alone. What Edward did that day when he told me that you had already left, started a fucking chain reaction and now everyone that I truly cared about is dead because of what your fucking asshole of a son did that day. I blame him and the rest of the family for the fucked up life I have had since then."

"Bella please. You really need to get away from Jasper sweetheart. He seems to be having trouble controlling himself right now. Come home with us and we'll take care of you. Edward will come home and the two of you can talk things out. I know deep down you want to be with him. The two of you are mates, and mates can't live apart." Carlisle said.

I looked over at Jasper who had been standing next to me with his hand on my back. He was shaking with rage, and I could tell that for once Carlisle was right, he was about to lose it. I had no clue what to do but I knew that I needed to try to calm Jasper down.

I turned my body so I was in front of him. I put one hand on his chest and the other I put on his cheek. I pulled his head down so that he had to look at me. I didn't need his gift to know he was angry. I was too but I wasn't sure what was making him feel that way. I noticed that when he looked at me two things happened. His eyes became softer, and he nuzzled his cheek into my hand. I would have to think about what this could mean later.

I knew that Carlisle and Esme were waiting for an answer. I really needed them to understand I no longer loved Edward and he meant nothing to me. I also needed to address the slur they had made about Jasper. All I was really wanting to do was get away from here, but there was something just plain wrong about what they had said about Jasper.

"Jasper would never hurt me. Out of everyone in the family, he's the only one that I trust. I do NOT need you or anyone in your family to take care of me. Jasper and his friends have been doing just that. Lastly, I do not love Edward any more and I wouldn't talk to him if he was the last boy or vampire on earth. I can also tell you that I don't know why the fuck you think we could be mates, but I know for a fact that its exactly like you said, mates cannot be apart for long. Therefore, that is proof enough that Edward is most definitely not my mate. As a matter of fact, if I were to see him I'd probably try to kill his ass. It's his fucking fault that my mom and step-father were murdered. It's his fault that my best friend Jake, and the alpha of the pack Sam, were killed trying to save my life from the one that Edward said wouldn't cause any problems." I was almost yelling.

"I don't understand, Bella. It seems as if Jasper or was it the Major, has manipulated you? You were always so forgiving in the past. What has happened to you? I'm sure that once you get away from here and from Jasper then you'll be able to see the truth. What I'm really not understanding is why you believe it's Edward's fault that your parents died. Why would you think Edward was involved?"

"He didn't actually kill them but he might as well have. Jasper, wasn't it Edward that told the family that Victoria wouldn't be a problem? That she wouldn't come after me or the family." I asked still looking at Carlisle and Esme.

"Yes, and I told them that she was James' mate and that she wouldn't stop until either she or Bella was dead. Maybe even the whole family. I practically begged them to let us go after her, but Edward, whom you believe to be perfect, talked you into leaving her alone." Jasper reminded them.

"I'm not fully understanding something here. Edward came home and told us that you broke up with him. He also told us that you wanted nothing more to do with any of us and wanted all of us to leave you alone. We then packed up and left. Emmett and I both wanted to at least say good-bye, but we were told that you wanted nothing to do with us ever again." Esme told us.

"That fucking bastard! If I ever see his fucking ass again I'll make sure to dance over his ashes after I have roasted his ass for lying. Do you have any idea that he fucking lied? Of course not! He's fucking perfect and can do no wrong. Well, let me tell you that he did lie. Would you like to know what has been going on for the last five fucking years? Would you like to know what really happened before you guys left? Don't answer that because I'm going to set the record straight right here, right now!" I was beyond angry.

"First of all, it was three days after my nightmare of a birthday party that I never wanted in the first place, but Alice and Edward practically demanded that I have anyway. None of the kids had been in school and when I got home on the third day Edward was waiting for me. He asked me to take a walk with him, and then took me into the woods. Once we were away from the house he told me that your family was leaving. Long story short, he didn't love me, I was just a distraction, a pet. I wasn't good enough for him, I wasn't worth him trying to pretend he was human. He promised I would never have to see him again. Then he left me, alone, in the woods. It was hours before I was found." Now I was yelling.

Jasper tried to calm me down but I turned to him with a glare and said, "DON'T you fucking dare try to calm my ass down. I thought you wanted to fucking know what happened."

He pulled his gift back and I turned back to the Cullens, "I became a zombie. I rarely ate, when I slept, if I slept, I had fucking nightmares. It wasn't just Edward leaving that affected me. No, I lost a family, those I thought were my family had left me without a fucking word. My supposedly best friend, not a word from her. Even the one I considered to be my big bear of a brother, couldn't even say fuck you! Do you have any idea of the pain I felt? Of course not! Edward tells you something and you believe him. If the tables had been turned, I would have come to you and asked you if you wanted me out of your life, but you couldn't even fucking do that."

I had to stop to catch my breathe but then started right back into the story, "Did anyone in the family even stop to think that maybe, just maybe, I might still be in danger from Victoria? None of you even fucking cared enough to make sure I was alright. About four months after you left, I started hanging out with my best friend Jake, who you know is a shifter. They turn into wolves. I found out when Laurent found me alone. He said he was doing Victoria a favor and was about to kill me. The wolves showed up and killed him. The next six months was fucking hell for me. Victoria kept showing up and the wolves would chase her. I finally had to move to the rez for protection. Billy had to convince my dad to come down there often, so he could be protected as well. She was fast, and smart though. She always seemed to get away."

"Then one day I had gone to school and I was called to the office. There was my dad waiting for me. He just told me to follow him home. When we got there, he sat down at the table and I was shocked to see tears in his eyes. He told me that they had found my mom and Phil murdered brutally. They had been tortured, and their blood drained. Later that night, I was in bed, alone upstairs. The whole pack was on patrol, Victoria had managed to slip past the pack. She laughed and told me all about how she had taken great pleasure in killing my mom. Jake and Sam realized she was in my room and chased her."

I knew I was crying hard by this time but I just couldn't stop the tears, "Apparently, she wasn't the only vampire around. The wolf pack ended up killing about ten vampires altogether. When I heard the wolves howling I knew something had happened to at least one of them. Paul came in and asked dad if I could come to the rez, Sam and Jake had been hurt, and Jake was asking for me. Paul assured dad that there was nothing he could do. He was going to go anyway."

I was finding it harder to talk but I needed them to know everything, "When we got there, Sam and Jake both were in severe pain, they both had been bitten by Victoria. The good news was that they had "killed the red headed bitch". The venom is poisonous to the wolves, but its not a quick or painless death. I stayed with both of them for four fucking days while they screamed, in pain, before they finally died! In the meantime, Billy had to tell my dad about what had bitten the boys, apparently he knew about different things that could kill a person venom wise. He was able to convince dad that both Sam and Jake had gone to Arizona for a couple of days on some tribal business. They were both bitten by something and that they were trying to find out what it was. The boys themselves had no clue. That's what dad was told. He never got to see them, or even say good-bye. He loved Jake like a son."

"I had graduated, and was trying to decide what to do next with what was left of my life. I went to college and graduated from there. Then I decided to move to Seattle. I never wanted to be too far away from dad, but the memories of everything that had happened was just too fucking painful. Since the danger was gone, I figured that dad would be alright. He was until the attacks started in Seattle. I never really thought too much about if vampires were the cause. I will admit that I could feel that I was being watched, and it felt like I was in danger. Then one night while walking home, I knew I was being followed. I was scared, and it was then that I ran into Jasper. He assured me that he had nothing to do with the killings and was actually there to try to find out what was going on."

Another deep breathe and then I said, "If you guys had stayed here, you could have stopped Victoria long before she took away everyone that I cared about. So its Edward's fault as he made you leave apparently. He had better just fucking stay away from me. I hate him, and I have no desire to see his ass, or yours for that matter. Leave me the hell alone. Your family has done enough damage. So go back to your nice family, your nice life, and stay the fuck out of mine!" I was a sobbing mess.

"Wait, Alice said that she tried to call you Jasper, but Peter answered the phone and when she asked to have Jasper check on Bella she was told that Bella was fine, and under the protection of the Major. So, how did you get her away from him Jasper?" Carlisle asked.

I was about to open my mouth to tell them that he IS the Major but was interrupted by Jasper, "He and I are very good friends, I'm probably his only friend. I just told him that she was a friend and he let her go. Now, if you'll excuse us, Bella has told you what happened. She wants nothing to do with you or your fucked up son. You might want to heed her wishes, or else the Major, who is also her friend, just might decide to step in and help her destroy him."

With that Jasper opened the truck door and put me inside. Peter and Char, who had stayed quiet through everything, also got in. Jasper got in the driver's side and started up the truck. After he was on the road I looked over at him, glaring. He had lied to Carlisle, and it made me wonder if he was lying to me. I just couldn't understand why he needed to lie about that.

"You have a fucking lot of explaining to do, "Major", why did you just lie? You told me that you would never break a promise, and you would never lie. So what the fuck is going on?"

I was suddenly hit with a fuck load of lethargy but still clearly heard "OH SHIT!" from the back seat just before I fell under Jasper's gift. . .

**A/N Let me know what you think. I guess you can pretty much figure out that the Major is going to be in a shit load of trouble when she comes to. How is he going to explain about him having a mate without telling her who she is. And, why did he lie about the Major? You'll find out, in the next chapter. I hope to be able to post again later this week but not sure as I had no time to write during my vacation. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and added this story to their alerts and favorites.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N I need to say a huge thanks to OoJasper'sAngeloO who did the beta work on this chapter. Without her this chapter wouldn't be worth reading. Now, we get to find out how Bella reacts to being knocked out, by Jasper. This chapter is kind of sad, and I have a feeling that everyone will feel bad for Jasper. But he is a man, and most men can be totally blind when it comes to women. Hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Jasper's POV**

I knew that she was probably going to kick my ass for knocking her out, but she needed to be calm before I could answer her questions. She has had a very emotional and traumatic last few days. I could have given her a quick answer, but in order to really answer her question fully I needed to tell her my history.

Then she would better understand the answer. I also knew that it would be her turn to hear what happened with me after we left her. The pain she was feeling was enough to knock me to my knees, but I had to try to push her emotions down. I needed to be able to help her and I couldn't do that if her emotions were overwhelming me.

Both Peter and Char were sitting in the back and had been quiet. I knew that Peter wasn't going to keep it that way though. After a couple of minutes on the road I was right, "You do realize that when she wakes up she's gonna kick your ass. We might not know her very well, but I know that she hates bein' manipulated. She also seems to have a problem with those who try to decide things for her. You just decided to knock her out. Yep, she's gonna kick your ass for fuckin' sure. I'm gonna have a front row seat for this."

"I know she probably will, but she was being overwhelmed with anger, hurt, grief, and suddenly there was also immense pain, and loneliness. I couldn't explain to her about why I lied to Carlisle and Esme without tellin' her about my past. I will tell her, but I think she needs to rest before goin' into the nightmare that was my life before the Cullens, or Alice for that matter. Somethin' that was said seems to have bothered her more than anything else said. I just don't know what it was. I'm thinkin' that maybe she realizes that she has a chance to get back with Edward. Maybe she's still in love with him and she just realized it."

"I don't know her well enough to say otherwise, but she is your mate. I just can't see her wantin' to go back to the one whom she blames for her life bein' fucked up." Char told me.

"I'll wake her up when we get back to the hotel suite. I'll tell her the truth, that I need to explain my past in order to answer her question about why I lied to Carlisle. I promised her I would never lie to her and I didn't lie to her, I lied to Carlisle. I want her to be calmer before I tell her. I also need for her to explain why she's feelin' alone, and despair is what I was feelin' from her as well." I replied.

"Yeah, but Jasper, don't most humans that have lost a loved one through murder feel despair like that when they're grieving? Especially at the funeral, and shortly after wards. It sounds normal to me." Peter asked.

"Yes, and no. Most humans only feel the kind of despair that she was feelin' when they have lost a spouse or boyfriend. I think she's regrettin' not at least talkin' to Edward. Fuck, she could have realized just like I said, she still loves him and is regrettin' not taking him back. I need her calm so we can talk and I need to find out if she wants him back." I explained.

"Jasper, what are ya gonna do if she does want him back?" Char asked me.

"I'll take her to him, make sure it's what she wants. If it is, I'll find a way to destroy myself. Ya know I couldn't live without her and it would kill me to see her in the arms of another male. I would wait to make sure she was turned first. She might recognize me as her mate once she was turned. If she still wanted Edward, then I would leave her to her happiness." I whispered.

Nothing else was said the rest of the way to the hotel. I was worried, because the more I thought about it, the more it seemed as if she was regrettin' her decision to stay away from Edward. She seemed to be so determined to keep him away from her, and I could feel the hatred she had towards him before. What changed? That's what I kept asking myself.

I decided it was best to wake her up before getting out of the truck and going into the hotel. Once she had eaten then I would tell her about my past and then explain why I lied to Carlisle and Esme. Next, she needed to know what had happened after we left Forks.

One thing's for sure, I would find out if she was regrettin' her decisions. I would probably turn her before takin' her to Edward if that's what she wanted. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about the "taking her soul" shit he always spouted as his excuse to not turn her.

Once she was awake I thought that she would explode, but she did just the opposite, she was quiet. I helped her up to the suite and then called room service and ordered her some dinner. She seemed to be distant and withdrawn. I told her that once she was done that we would be talkin'.

She barely touched her food. When I tried to feed her like I had been, she turned away from me and started to talk to Char. I told her that she needed to hear about my past so that she would better understand why I had to lie to Carlisle and she just nodded.

I just told her the basics, trying to leave out most of the horrible things that I did. I did this for two reasons, first of all I knew she would definitely leave me if she knew everything right away. I just told her that I was the most feared vampire in the south.

Then I explained that I lied to all of the Cullens to keep them safe. If they knew who I really was then there would be a line of vampires showing up to try to take on the Major and prove they could best him in a fight. I wanted the peace that bein' with the family brought me.

She just said she understood and then said she was tired and was going to go lay down. I asked if she wanted me to lay down with her and she just nodded no. I wasn't sure what was going on, but her emotions were almost completely gone. It was like she wasn't feeling anything at all.

This went on for two more days before I had finally had enough of her actin' dead. She would leave the room if I came in, if I talked to her she wouldn't respond. She would talk to Char and even Peter, but she ignored me. I tried to kiss her, and she backed off quickly. She pushed me away more than once and was keeping her distance from me.

I finally asked her if she was wanting to go back to Edward. That set her off and she cussed at me for even suggesting something as stupid as going back to the asshole as she called him. She told me several times to leave her alone. I decided it was time to get to the bottom of what the fuck her problem was.

If she was wanting to go back to Edward then I needed to know so that I could get it over with. I again accused her of wanting to go back to Edward and she started screaming at me to just fucking leave. She yelled that she didn't want to be around me anymore. She was tired of being "the latest distraction for every fucking vampire in the state." Those were her words. Then she told me to go ahead and leave her just like she knew I was already planning.

She refused to even acknowledge that I was there after that. Char finally made both Peter and I leave so that she could try to get Bella to tell her what was really wrong. I knew that she had really seemed to like Char so I was hoping that she would talk to her.

We had just gotten out of the hotel when we ran into Carlisle and Esme. While I was still pissed at them for them believing the shit that Alice was apparently still spewing out of her mouth, I could feel their alarm. They wanted to talk to me. I would have refused except that they both told me of all of the different vampire scents they had come across, mostly around where Bella's old house used to be. One was familiar.

They wanted to know about what was going on. Carlisle reminded me that if things didn't settle down soon that the Volturi might come to stop it and clean things up and unfortunately that could end up involving Bella. Especially since she seems to be the target of the vampire's interest.

If they got wind that everything was happening because of a human, that was for some reason the target, well, that wouldn't go over well. They could and most likely would kill her and while she seems to be hurt and angry with me for some fucking reason, there's no way I could let that happen. Even if she chose Edward over me, I would still protect her with my life.

They both tried to tell me it would be safer for Bella to come back with them. I just couldn't allow that as she seems like she didn't want to even talk to them. I explained to them that it was her choice and I would tell her that she could go with them, but not to expect her to take up their offer.

They told me that they had talked to everyone except for Edward and they were going to be returning to Forks, at least until whatever was going on had been stopped. In other words they were going to help stop whoever this vampire is. They wanted me to pass on this message to Bella to see if she would like to see Emmett and Alice.

While I couldn't really argue against their plans I knew that Bella would probably not want to have anything to do with any of them. I was also having a problem with Alice being around. I promised to relay the message and then I told them everything that I knew and about Bella almost being taken.

Peter's phone went off and it was Char. She was frantic, apparently Bella had gotten a call from one of the wolves. They were on their way and they were out for venom, ours preferably. Peter took off to try to head them off and away from us. Carlisle said that he would call Billy later and talk to him. He wanted the wolves to know that the Cullens were coming back, at least until this threat had been taken care of.

Peter called me a couple of minutes later to tell me that Char had joined him and that one of the wolves was watching Bella. He was trying to talk to the pack, to calm them down and they agreed to talk to them if one of the wolves could watch her while I was busy.

I started to yell at him until he told me it was the female wolf. At least Peter knew not to allow another male to be alone with her. Maybe this would turn out to be a good thing as far as the wolves were concerned. So I decided that maybe Carlisle could be of some good use right now and the three of us headed to where the pack was. I had a feeling that we just might need their help after all and it would be even better if the wolves would join us for now.

Carlisle was good at being a diplomat and that's what was needed right now. We weren't here to start trouble, but we were here to fucking stop it. Once Carlisle had the wolves calmed down, along with my gift of course, it was time to make plans. We needed to get this vampire or vampires under control and stopped before the Volturi showed up.

While I didn't care for the wolves at all really, I knew that if the Volturi showed up it wouldn't just be the vampires they would eliminate, it would be the wolves as well as Bella, and probably the Cullens as well. The Volturi would make sure that everyone involved, good or bad would be destroyed. This is what convinced the wolves to help us.

We were in the middle of making plans to try to follow some of these scents to Seattle when all hell broke loose. Several of the wolves had stayed in their wolf form, and suddenly they were all howling. The sounds they made was as if they were mourning someone. It was chilling and alarming at the same time. Every single one of us that could talk all said the same thing at the same time, "Bella!"

While the wolves couldn't go into the city were the hotel was, the vampires could. I knew that the wolves would follow until right before they got to the edge of the city, then they would phase back. Paul ordered several to patrol around the area of the hotel.

I didn't stop, or even slow down until I got into the hotel. I decided that the stairs would be faster than the elevator. I ran and gratefully never ran into anyone, but as I got closer to the suite, I could smell blood, lots of it. I ran faster now becoming even more alarmed for my mate.

I still hadn't felt anything from her until I was almost on our floor. Then, I felt pain, shock, anger, and fear. It was all coming from my mate. It was the first time I had felt any kind of strong emotions from her since she confronted the Cullens. Up until this moment, she was basically numb. I ran even faster and was there within seconds.

The door, as well as a window was broken. Each suite in this hotel only had two suites to each floor and required a special key to even get up here by elevator, the other suite had been empty the whole time we had been here. The place was torn up, and blood had sprayed one wall.

I looked around and finally saw where the blood had come from. The female wolf was in her human form on the floor. Even a human would know immediately that she was dead. Her neck had been broken and her heart ripped out of her chest. I was relieved that at least the blood hadn't belonged to my mate.

Until I realized that I couldn't hear her heartbeat. I looked around frantically. She was gone. I could smell several vampire scents in the room, including the one that had been in Bella's apartment and at Charlie's. We had been talking and planning for at least twenty minutes. I figured that meant that they had at least a fifteen minute head start. Carlisle and Esme had gone to run a perimeter around the hotel. They lost Bella's scent when they got to the highway. That meant a car.

We had no fucking clue as to which way the car went. I might appear to look calm on the outside, but the rage I was feeling at the thought that someone had my mate and would probably be draining her if they hadn't done so already, made it necessary for me to go deeper into the woods to destroy shit. I needed to find her and quick.

After a short time of venting on anything in the area I was stopped in the middle of throwing another tree. The pain I suddenly felt, actually made me drop the tree in mid-throw. I was on my knees gasping. At first I couldn't understand the pain, but it took me a few moments to realize two things. Part of it was the pain a vampire feels when separated from their mate, the other was the pull. It hurts like a motherfucker if you don't follow it.

It had been there the whole time, but I think that my rage was keeping me from realizing it was there. I then knew what I needed to do. Before I could take off to follow the pull, Peter stopped me. He knew that I would need help in getting to her, because there had been at least five different vampires in the room. While I have and still can fight off more than a few at a time, Peter made a very valid point.

"Major, while I'm certain that you could fight these vampires and win, you have to understand that your mate is still human. While you're fighting them, it would only take one to destroy Bella. You need back up. That includes the two Cullens that are here now. You follow the pull, we'll follow you. Once we know where she's at, we can stake out the area and come up with a plan that will get her out safely." Peter told me.

I turned and told him, "Fine, but the one who dared to touch her is mine. They will beg for death before I'm through with them. If she has been harmed in any way, the death will be longer in comin'. I'm leavin' it up to you to explain to the Cullens that there will be no mercy for the ones who took her. If they dare try to interfere, or stop me, they will die as well."

I turned away but did see Peter speaking with them. I walked around in circles until I got the direction that the pull was tellin' me to go. Then I took off. Hell was about to be unleashed; me. . .

**A/N Please let me know your thoughts. Any guesses as to why Bella was acting the way she was towards Jasper? And who took her? You'll find out why she was acting the way she was, and what is going on with her while she's missing in the next chapter, or at least part of it. I'm so sorry for not posting this sooner, but I was in the hospital for 24 hours. I was having chest pains, fortunately, it wasn't a heart attack. Though they don't know what caused the pain, everything seems to be in working order. Maybe next week I can post when I'm supposed to which I'm hoping to do on Mondays with this story. Thanks to all who reviewed, and added this story to their alerts and favorites. Love you guys.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N A huge thanks goes to OoJasper'sAngeloO for her beta work. This chapter, is one that most readers have been wanting to see, hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Peter's POV**

I quickly told Carlisle and Esme that a wolf had been left to guard Bella and that the wolf had been overwhelmed by vampires and was killed. As far as we knew, the vampires had taken Bella. I knew that Jasper would be followin' the pull, but how to explain it to them without them figurin' out that he was the Major was another thing.

I realized then that Jasper had already told them he had found his true mate. So I just continued with that thought in mind. I wouldn't tell them that he was following the pull, I would just let them figure it out for themselves. It might actually be better if they saw Jasper's matin' instincts in action. That way they would know for a fact that Alice was not his mate.

I just told them he was followin' a lead and that there had been at least five vampires so he might need backup. They didn't need any more than that to convince them to follow Jasper to help protect Bella. Now I had to tell them the bad part which I already knew that at least Carlisle might argue about.

I told them that Jasper already said that he wanted to deal with these vampires his way and that anyone who got in his way or tried to stop him, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them. I told them that if they went with us to help, they needed to understand that Jasper wouldn't even stop to think, he would just strike and his strike would be lethal.

Carlisle said that this was the very reason that they needed to get Bella away from Jasper. He was dangerous, a killer, a monster, just like the Major. I just reminded them that it had been Jasper who has been protectin' her until they demanded that they talk to him. That left her in a position to be taken. He was tryin' to save her even now as they were arguing with me on why Bella shouldn't be around Jasper.

I told them that they needed to seriously stop the fuckin' shit of always relyin' on the gifts of the pixie and her side kick Edward. I also told them that if they wanted the whole truth to open up their eyes and watch as we got Bella back. Then they questioned what I was talkin' about. I explained that they just needed to watch as Jasper did whatever he had to do to get her back, then they might just realize that maybe, just fuckin' maybe, Alice wasn't always as honest as they believed her to be.

I told them that they should be concentratin' on getting Bella back and nothing else. They did agree with that and so we took off followin' Jasper's scent. I knew that we would be able to save Bella, but as to her bein' unharmed, that I couldn't be sure of. Sometimes my "knower" just didn't fuckin' tell me everything. The one thing I didn't need my knower to tell me was that whomever had taken the Major's mate was in for a world of hurt. I couldn't wait.

**Bella's POV**

At first I was confused when I came to. My head was spinning and my stomach was trying to get rid of whatever food was in there. It still took me a minute to realize that I was tied up to a chair. I sat there trying to remember what the hell had happened.

Slowly the memories started to come back to me. Leah and I were in the suite talking. Then Leah tensed up and started shaking. Then she phased just as I heard crashing all around me. Then the memory of Leah fighting with several vampires came to me. She had just torn the head off of one when someone came up behind her and twisted her head. Oh shit!

Then someone came up in front of Leah and shoved their hand straight into her chest and brought out a bloody lump. It took me only a second to realize it was her heart. At this point its where everything seems to have gone black. I do remember that right after this, something was placed over my nose and mouth and I smelled something was on the rag being held in place by a vampire. Everything goes black after that.

I decided to take stock in what was going on with me and my surroundings. I was dizzy and had nausea, but otherwise I didn't seem to be injured. The tugging in my chest was back full force and my chest felt like someone was trying to do the same thing to me that was done to poor Leah. I felt very alone and empty.

I felt the tears starting to come. One thing I knew for sure is that I doubt that Jasper would risk his life to come after me. I know he said he wouldn't let anything happen to me, but that was when he was just keeping me safe. Now that I was in the midst of more than a few vampires he wouldn't want to risk his life to save me. He has his mate to think about now.

Then I started to think about how I felt when I was with Jasper and that made the pain in my chest even worse. I felt safe, secure and cared for. He had been taking care of me every day since dad was murdered. Even to the point of feeding me himself just to make sure I was eating. What I couldn't understand was why he was doing all of this if he's found his mate?

I knew that I needed to stay calm right now at least until I knew more about where I was and if I would be able to come out of this alive. So I kept my mind on Jasper. That only seemed to make the pain worse. I let my mind go back over the times that Jasper was around me since we met back in Seattle.

I remember him crouching in front of me to protect me at different times. Then of course there was the time he kissed me and then practically had sex with me in the truck. It was Peter who stopped it. If Jasper has met his mate why would he do that? From what Char has told me a mated vampire will never cheat or leave their mate. Its impossible for them to do so without hurting themselves. Char said that if a vampire loses their mate to death, the vampire left will seek revenge on the one who killed the mate and then destroy themselves. They cannot live without them.

OH!

She also told me about the pain in the chest from being separated from the mate. Yeah and she also explained that there was always a pull towards each other when away from each other. Its like they almost have to be touching constantly. Just. Exactly. Like. I'm. Feeling. Right. NOW!

No, that's impossible. There's no fucking way that what I'm thinking could be true. Or could it be. But if its true, then surely he would have said something, wouldn't he? No, I'm just wishing it was true. I'm just a stupid human that's stupid enough to fall for not just one vampire but two.

Everything started coming faster in my head. His touching me even if it was just a hand on mine or on my arm. Him keeping me close to him when he was around. The things he whispered in my ear about what he wanted to do to my body. How his touches seemed to set my body on fire.

OH! OH!

He's my mate, no I'm his mate. We are mates to each other. What. The. Fuck. Now, I have to wonder if fuckward knew. Wait, did Alice see that we were mates? Did she push assward into getting me to fall in love with his ass to keep Jasper and I apart? Wait a fucking minute here. Both Alice and Eddie boy always made sure to keep us apart. According to them he was much more dangerous than the average vampire.

Those fucking assholes. They had better just stay the fuck away from both me and Jasper. I'm willing to bet that both of them knew the truth and just twisted everything around so that they could play with the human pet. Once they got bored they needed the excuse to leave, hence the party I never wanted.

At least now I know that he will come after me. I just wish I knew how long I would have to wait for him to get here. The main problem of course was that I'm still human and therefore might just be killed before he can get here. No matter what, I need to try to fight to stay alive. I don't want to lose him, I just realized what he is to me.

Wait, why didn't he know that we were mates before? How could he not know? He's a fucking vampire, he should have known. Unless there's something that usually causes the vampire to not know about being mated to someone that has to happen first. Char never really explained how they find each other, just what they feel when separated.

My thoughts were interrupted by a door opening up. I hadn't really been able to see much as the room was dark. I have no clue as to whether its day or night, or even how long I have been here. Of course I couldn't really see who or what had opened the door. I heard footsteps coming closer.

I felt them messing with the ropes that had me tied. Whoever he was, he was removing them. Once all had been undone I was pulled up by my arm and led out of the room. I couldn't see his face but I knew he was a vampire. He didn't say anything and I knew better than to antagonize him. I thought that maybe if I didn't fight or argue I could stall, hopefully long enough for Jasper to get here.

Strangely enough he lead me to a table and placed a bag with a hamburger and fries in it in front of me. He said one word, "Eat!" he growled out. I was hungry and I could eat and maybe whatever was coming could be kept until Jasper had time to find me. I took my time to eat and once I was done he gave me a bottle of water to drink.

I told him that I needed to use the bathroom. I was hoping that maybe I could find a way out of here. Of course trying to out run a vampire was like asking for the wind to stop blowing, impossible. But maybe if I was left alone long enough, then I could get away. He let me go into the bathroom and once in there I knew why. There was no windows in the bathroom, at all.

When I came out he told me it was time for me to go back into the room. He was waiting for his sire to come back. He explained that he had taken me for his sire. Whoever he or she was, was the reason my dad was dead. He wouldn't tell me any more, except that he knew that my death would be a very painful one. He seemed to be very excited about that fact for some reason.

I decided to share with him that he had picked the wrong human to take. I was mated to a very dangerous vampire and then I decided to push my luck and tell him who he was since he seemed to find it funny that I was telling him that my mate was a vampire.

"Yeah you go ahead and laugh asshole, until my mate shows up, then you'll be laughing out of your ass. He's a very dangerous vampire." I told him.

"Yeah, his name is Jasper. I have been watching you, and him. I know all about him. He's with that family that is trying to destroy my sire. They're jealous that she has claimed this whole territory as hers. They have been trying to take everything that rightfully belong to her. Yeah, I know he's your mate. But the problem is that there is a very large group of vampires surrounding this cabin. We're waiting for him to get here so we can destroy him. Then my sire can take her sweet time with you. Actually, he will be captured and be made to watch as you are raped and tortured, then he will die as you watch. Not sure if you will die or be turned. She might want you to suffer the same way she has been suffering." he explained.

I had no fucking clue what he was talking about. The only vampire that I knew of that would want revenge against me was Victoria and she's dead. Unless the Cullens made more vampire enemies. Either way I decided that he needed to understand just who Jasper is.

"You ever hear of a vampire called the Major? He was sired by a vampire bitch by the name of Maria." I asked him.

"Yeah, I heard all about him. My sire told me about how he was the most dangerous and feared vampire ever. Shame he seems to have disappeared in the early nineteen hundreds. I would have loved to have met him. I'm sure that I could have beaten his ass. I doubt that his reputation was completely honest or earned. Most reputations are just hearsay." he explained with a smug smile on his face. I wanted to wipe it off and did what I hoped would do just that.

"Jasper is my mate as you already seem to know. What important information you are missing is that Jasper IS the Major. I'm guessing that you have seen Peter who was and still is his SIC. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when he gets here. Yeah, I'm guessing that either your sire is too stupid in taking the Major's mate, or she doesn't know either." I told him.

"No, he's not. He can't be, as the Major was supposed to be covered in scars. I haven't seen any scars except a couple." he was nervous now.

"Yeah, and when was the last time you saw him without a shirt on?" I asked him.

I realized then that he hadn't really said anything about having scars. I did notice that he always wore long sleeved shirts and there was a scar right over his eye and one on his jaw, but the other scars, I had no clue if he was telling the truth or not. I'm guessing the way he was acting now that he wasn't too sure.

I heard more footsteps and saw this vampire smile. I'm guessing it was his sire. I could only hope that Jasper would get here before I was killed. He left, closing the door behind him. I heard it lock and then I heard voices. I couldn't hear everything they were saying. I did hear the Major mentioned a couple of times along with mate.

I heard them starting to argue. He was wanting to let me go, he didn't want to face the wrath of the Major apparently. It was then I heard her voice. I was shocked. There was no fucking way that I could be hearing her voice. She just probably sounds like her.

A couple of minutes later I didn't have to guess any longer as to who was after me. She walked in, and smiled her evil grin and I felt my jaw drop. I just couldn't believe that it was her, here in the flesh.

"Hello Bella. Ready to have some fun?". . .

**A/N Let me know who you think it might be. Also, let me know your thoughts on the chapter as a whole. I'm working every day for the next few weeks so if I'm late posting a chapter you'll know why. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added this story to their favorites and alerts, love you guys.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N First I need to thank OoJasper'sAngeloO for doing the beta work on this. Alright everyone, this is the one everyone has been waiting for. Now we find out who has been after Bella and other details that everyone has been waiting for. Hope you enjoy. Please read the A/N at the bottom I have some important news.**

**I don't own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Bella's POV**

"Hello Bella. Ready to have some fun?" she asked me.

I stood there in shock. Not because of the fact that I was at her mercy, but because she wasn't supposed to be here. Or anywhere else for that matter. She was supposed to be dead. Standing not ten feet away from me was Victoria.

I managed to stutter out a "How?" before her laughter rang out loud and evil, "What's the matter Bella, wolf got your tongue?"

She laughed even harder I'm guessing at her own play with words. But it did what she wanted it to do, brought a fresh wave of pain for my friends who had their lives taken by this bitch. Then the pain was replaced by anger. She has killed everyone I had truly cared about.

"Surprised to see me Bella?" she said it like we were friends.

"How did you survive? You were ripped apart and burned." I asked.

"Quiet simple really. I had a friend of mine helping me. She had the same color hair as I did. I knew that the wolves were protecting you since the Cullens had left you defenseless. I crossed the path of two of the strongest wolves, I needed to see just how strong they were, and if they could actually kill a vampire with two of them against one. Oh, I knew that they as a pack could destroy one of my kind. They did destroy Laurent after all. I did fight them as well as Lucy. I was the one to bite them. Then I slipped out of the fight. I watched as they ripped her apart and then phased back and burned her. Since we didn't fight them together, they thought it was me that they killed." she explained.

"You do realize that my mate is going to fucking rip your ass apart for even touching me? He's a mean vampire when it comes to me." I retorted.

She started to laugh. This pissed me off even more, "You really are nothing but a stupid bitch. He's going to kill you and you're laughing. I told you, he's gonna fucking rip your ass apart!"

She back handed me hard, but not hard enough to break anything. I fell and then she grabbed me by my hair and jerked me up. She got right up in my face and licked the blood that was running down my chin. I tried to pull away, but she held on tight and said, "If you think that Eddie boy will be showing up to save the day then you have another thing coming. Even if he did, he's out numbered. I have a small army out there waiting for him. I think that my Riley already told you my plans for both you and Edward."

Riley spoke up then, "Victoria, her mate is closer than we might think. I tried to tell you that he apparently came back for her. He's been with her almost constantly the last couple of weeks."

"Doesn't matter, the ones guarding the area will be able to capture him, and then the real fun begins. I've seen Edward fight, he doesn't stand a chance against us." she replied.

I started laughing. I couldn't help myself, she fucking thought that Edward had come back. Maybe he was no match for her "army" as she put it, but I knew that against very skilled fighters she was going to lose. That cost me another slap across the other side of my face. At least now it would match and that thought made me laugh even harder.

This time she let go of me and slapped me hard enough for my body to fly across the room. Still, nothing broken, but more skin and more bleeding. It's really not a good idea to be bleeding around vampires. She asked me what I was finding so funny.

I told her that my mate was NOT Edward. Then I said, "You might know him or at least heard of him. He's Jasper Whitlock, he's also know as the Major. I believe that he fought with a bitch named Maria in the Southern wars. Maybe he might just go easy on you, if you let me go now."

I could tell that this news made her very uneasy, she looked at Riley who I recognized as the vampire that tried to take me when my truck stalled, "Riley, you told me that her mate had come back for her. It's Edward right?"

"I assumed it was Edward. You said he was tall, slim, with light colored hair right? Only the hair was different than what you told me. Its blonde, curly, and chin length. I do know that I heard him talking about having left the Cullens, so I figured it had to have been him." he quickly explained.

"You little bitch. You're just trying to confuse me." She screamed.

Then she slapped me again. Then she did something that shocked me. She ripped off my clothes, and started sniffing me. Then she sniffed my clothes. The look on her face was priceless. The look on Riley's face was scary. I could tell that he was wanting to have his way with me.

"Its true that it's not Edward, but he hasn't claimed you yet. Otherwise, you would smell like him. Riley, do with her whatever you want, but do it quickly. Then kill the bitch. Make sure it hurts, and I'll watch as you fuck her and then drain her. But I'm not taking any chances that she's telling the truth. I want to be long gone before anyone gets here." she told him.

She turned to me one last time and told me how much pleasure she got out of killing everyone that I considered to be family. Then she slapped me a couple more times. Then she stepped aside and I saw Riley coming towards me, with a sick gleam in his red eyes.

I was on the floor curled up trying to hide my body as much as I could. He grabbed me by my hair and once again I found myself being jerked up, but this time I was slammed against the wall. His face was now in my face and he growled out, "I'm going to enjoy this so much."

At the same time he grabbed my left breast, squeezing it painfully. The only thing that saved me at this point was the fact that I told him that he was more stupid than I had thought he was. He pulled back for a second and that's all it took. He was violently ripped away.

As soon as he had me pinned against the wall I saw Victoria slip out the door. A few seconds later, I saw Jasper slip in. I knew he had been close by, I could feel him. I didn't know how, I just did. When Riley saw him, I could tell he was going to be stupid. He smiled at Jasper and then said, "You should have claimed her when you first saw her. I have touched and seen what you are too afraid to touch."

I thought of Peter's words, "Oh shit!"

Jasper removed both of his hands. I saw Peter start to come inside but Jasper growled and he went back outside quickly. Then Riley's feet were removed before he dropped him on the floor. As soon as his body hit the floor, Jasper covered his face with a rag. It took me a minute to realize that he was keeping the idiot from looking at me.

I wasn't afraid of Jasper at all, but maybe I should have been. I could tell by his eyes that it was the Major in control and he was feral. He came over to me and I found myself trying to cover up. Unfortunately all of my clothes had been ripped up and there wasn't even enough cloth to cover my breasts.

He forced me to put my hands down and proceeded to check me over. My breast was bruised where the bastard had grabbed me and of course my face was bloody and bruised up, with one eye swollen almost shut, from the slaps that Victoria had given me. Apparently my back was also bruised up from falling and/or being slammed against the wall. Every time he found something else bruised he would growl loudly.

He hadn't spoken and something inside of me told me that he couldn't. He was focused solely on me. Once he was finished with checking out my injuries, he took his shirt off and put it on me. His face was feral, but his actions were very gentle. He was still growling when Char knocked on the door and asked permission to enter.

I must have looked worse than I felt because Char gasped when she saw me. She was about to come closer, but Jasper just growled and pushed me behind him. She spoke up then, "Sorry, Major. I just wanted to check to see how badly Bella was hurt. All of the other vampires have been destroyed, including burning them. What do you want to do with the one in here?"

"Question him, get all the information we need. Then let him go. We need to know who is behind all of this and why. We also need to send a message to the one responsible for all of this shit. Make sure to give him back his feet, but his right hand is to be burned. He dared to touch what does not belong to him. You will scout out the area and try to find any that might have gotten away. I'm taking Bella back to the hotel. I do not want to see you until I have taken care of her and she has rested. GO!" he growled out.

It hurt really bad to talk, but I knew who it was and motioned for Jasper to look at me. My voice was barely audible, but I was able to tell them both that it was Victoria. He told me that he thought it was, as it was her scent that he smelled at dad's. She was also the one in my apartment in Seattle.

Peter asked if he could come in at that point and told Jasper to take me back to the hotel. Him and Char would take care of Riley. Jasper gently lifted me up in his arms and started running back to the hotel. My whole body was feeling pain, but he did his best not to jostle me too much.

Once back at the hotel he sneaked me up the side of the building. Since it was in the middle of the night, we were able get into our suite without being seen. It took me a minute to realize that this was a different suite. I didn't have time to ask about it as Jasper took me straight into the bathroom and sat me down on the counter.

He quickly filled the bathtub with hot water. It wasn't too hot though. Once he was satisfied with the amount of water in there, he turned around and removed his clothes. I started to panic and was having trouble breathing. He sent me some calm and I was still nervous, but at least I wasn't having a panic attack.

He then came over and gently removed the shirt I was wearing and then picked me up. He got into the bath with me. He put me on one side and sat across from me. He took a wash cloth and proceeded to wipe the blood off and cleaned me up. He had a look of pain on his handsome face. I just watched as he busied himself with taking care of me. He never said a word, but I could feel his love and his fear.

Yes, he was frightened. Of what I had no clue, but I did have my suspicions. Knowing now that we are mates, I'm thinking that he was frightened, thinking he could have lost me. Victoria could have killed me before he got there. This was the second time someone had tried to take me, but they had been more successful. I knew exactly what Jasper was thinking; what if!

When he was satisfied that I was clean enough he got out and picked me up. He set me down long enough to get a towel and dry me off. I was having trouble standing up though. My whole body was painful, so as soon as I was dry he picked me up and carried me back into the bedroom.

He then called room service and ordered me some soup and juice. My mouth was swollen and I had several cuts not only on my lips, but inside my mouth as well. It was going to hurt badly to eat. I doubt that I would be able to talk very well. The few words I had said hurt so much, how in the hell was I going to be able to eat?

Jasper put a plush robe on me and then put some pants on long enough to answer the door when the food came. If it hadn't been for the pain I was feeling, I would have been embarrassed. Not only for my nakedness, but his as well. Yet, I have to admit that seeing him, without clothes, made me feel something down lower in my belly, that I had never felt before. I wanted more.

I tried to feed myself but he wouldn't let me. At the same time, every time he looked at me, I saw the pain in his eyes. I hated that I was the one that was causing that pain. I knew that I needed to do something to try to stop him from feeling pain, what happened was not his fault.

I was able to eat all of the soup and I suddenly knew what I could do to help him with the pain. Once I was done, he took the robe off and gave me a soft silk gown to put on. It was Char's as it was just slightly too big. Unfortunately I was left without underwear.

Jasper helped me lay down and then once he knew I was tucked in, he went and sat across the room from the bed. Far away and with so much pain in his face it made my chest hurt. I called him but he refused to even look at me.

I decided that I had had enough of his fucking emo shit. I got up and went over to him, "Bella, you need to get back in bed. Until Carlisle or some other doctor can check you over you should stay in bed. Just please go back to bed and try to get some rest."

Even though it hurt like hell he was now fucking pissing me off. I reached over and put my hands on his face and turned him so that he was looking at me, "What's wrong Jasper? Are you tired of having to come to my rescue all the time? Ma.. .Maybe I should just go and leave you alone."

That seemed to have jolted him and he gently pulled me closer to him, "No. Please. Don't leave. I'm sorry, but if I hadn't have been so fucking stupid as to leave you alone, you would have never been taken, or hurt."

He was hugging me and it was becoming more painful by the second. I finally just told him, "Jasper, can you please take me back to the bed? My body is hurting all over."

He picked me up and carried me tenderly back to the bed. He again tucked me in and was about to leave when I grabbed his hand and pulled. I needed to tell him that I knew. I said, "Jasper, please stay with me."

He laid down and I curled around him the best that I could and then I said, "I know Jasper. I know what we are to each other. At least I'm pretty sure that I'm right. I feel pain in my chest when we're apart and I feel a tugging as well. The only time it goes away is when we are together. We're mates, aren't we?". . .

**A/N Yeah, she finally figured it out. Please let me know your thoughts. Now, I have just started another story and I will be posting the first chapter here in a few minutes. What I would like for everyone to do is to read it and let me know if I should continue the story or not. Its a Jasper story, and its non-canon but I'm not saying any more. Except for the title of course, The Death of Jasper Hale. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and added this story to their favorites and alerts, Love you guys.**


	20. Chapter 20

******A/N A huge thanks to my friend OoJasper'sAngeloO for her beta work on this chapter.**** Thanks for your support and friendship girl. Now we find out Jasper's reaction to Bella's statement about them being mates. Hope you enjoy.**

******I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Jasper's POV**

I heard her say the words that I have longed to hear from her mouth, "We're mates, aren't we?"

I just nuzzled her neck inhaling her delicious scent of lavender, and mint mixed with a slight touch of strawberries. Then something happened that I had heard of, but have never done myself, I started purring. My mate was now looking at me waiting for the answer to her question.

"Yes, we are mates. How did you figure it out?" I replied, while continuing to nuzzle her neck.

I listened as she told me about the conversations she had had with Char explaining about the pull, and the pain of separation. How when she finally came to and felt the very things that Char had described to her and then she thought about my actions around her and with her. I knew my mate was smart, she had figured it out on her own and now I didn't have to hold back.

I also knew that I would have to tell her my story, about what happened after we left her, and Forks. All she knew is that I had left the family as well as Alice and taken my own name back. She needed to know the rest, before we took our relationship any further. She was pissed at the family already and I had a feeling that when she found out the rest... Well, let's just say that the family was in for a rude awakening if they thought she would allow them back into her life. She was my mate after all!

All of that would have to wait until later. Right now she was in tremendous pain. Nothing was broken, but she had been subjected to a beating that left major bruising on her face, arms, legs, back and a few places on her body that had been done by the bastard that had dared to touch her.

I had allowed him to live to see another day. Only because I needed Victoria to know that I would be coming for her. I hadn't understood how she was alive, but she was and she was still after Bella. Once Bella told me everything that she had heard and been told by Victoria and Riley, I could see how everyone thought she was dead.

But the hand that had dared to touch my mate had been burned. He would never again touch anything. He had been left with the other hand, but he would always have pain that would weaken him. It would be almost impossible for him to be able to function sexually.

Bella needed rest right now and it was my duty as her mate to make sure her needs were taken care of. I would let her sleep and once she was awake I would then have to tell her my story. She seemed to be almost as bad as I am as far as needing to be near each other and so I laid down next to her.

I wanted her so badly, but I needed to take care of her first. She would need time to heal and to accept that I was in her life for good, as well as understanding that I would not allow her to remain human for much longer. She also needed time to grieve for her father.

I told her that we would talk after she had rested. She was about to argue with me, but I could tell that she was exhausted. I asked her if she would be comfortable if either Carlisle came to check her out, or I could just take her to the hospital after she rested. There were a couple of places that even I knew she needed stitches.

She is stubborn to the point of ignoring her own well-being. She told me she didn't need a doctor. I told her it was either Carlisle, or a hospital, but she was going to get her wounds taken care of. I was hoping that she would opt for Carlisle as I needed to speak to him, as well as the wolves about what Bella had told me. She finally agreed on allowing Carlisle to take care of her wounds, but she refused to talk to him.

I did explain to her that the only problem I had with Carlisle and Esme is that they listened to and believed everything that both Edward and Alice told them. Unfortunately, they had sided with them when it came to leaving Bella.

I quickly called Carlisle. Since he had helped to destroy some of the newborns that had been surrounding the cabin they had my mate in, he already knew of her injuries at least the surface ones. I had refused to allow anyone else into the cabin besides Char and then later Peter because of the fact that my mate was naked.

He had been waiting for my call. I had asked him to stay close until I could talk Bella into letting him look at her. I hated that it had to be him and I knew that Bella hated it even more, but her health comes first. Although, I did warn him against calling any of the rest of the family especially Edward.

I knew that she wanted nothing to do with the rest of the family, especially Edward and Alice. If he were to call and tell them about what had happened they would descend like wolves and I wouldn't subject her to that. Even though I knew that Alice wouldn't be coming for Bella. She would be coming to try to get her to take Edward back.

Now that I knew that we were mates, I wouldn't allow anyone else to take or touch what is mine. I wasn't really looking forward to telling her what happened, but she deserved to know the how, the why and what of all the fucking shit that was going on while she was with Edward. I also knew she wasn't going to like what she was going to hear and if I thought she was pissed off now, well, it would be nothing compared to how pissed she was going to get after she heard the truth. I was also worried that she might even be pissed at me.

At least Carlisle was being respectful and worked quickly to stitch up the cuts on her eyebrow, cheek and scalp. I have to admit though that I blame Carlisle partly for her injuries. If he had not insisted that I speak with him then I would have been with her. At the same time, I realize that they were apparently able to watch her and could have easily taken her when I went hunting. It was also the wolves coming to "deal" with us leeches that caused her to be left with someone who stood no chance against more than one vampire.

She would not be left alone again. Carlisle said that because of the threat being so close to Forks, that he was moving the family back here to help the wolves deal with Victoria. Once she had been destroyed, they would leave. They were doing it mostly for the wolves. If the Volturi were to step in to stop the threat, it would also mean the end of the wolves.

I knew this would not sit well with my mate. So I have been formulating a plan. Since I knew that she was my mate I have been wanting to take her away from here and turn her. Its too dangerous to do it here, especially with Victoria still on the loose. I would not allow my mate to be in a vulnerable position by going through the change while here in Forks.

Besides, she would need to be isolated, until she was more in control. We would also have to come up with a story for her to be leaving. That would be the easy part. With all of the bad memories here in Forks, she would need a fresh start in order to get away from all of the nightmares.

Shortly after Carlisle was finished he gave her some pain killers which she took on my insistence. She really was a stubborn lil' thing. I believe that she was terrified of the nightmares she would have if she went to sleep. I promised her that I would stay with her and keep them away from her.

An hour after she finally went to sleep Peter and Char came in. As I had instructed, they had followed Riley without his knowledge of course. They were not to engage either Victoria or Riley. I just wanted to know where the bitch was. I planned on making a visit before leaving Forks. I was hoping that I could surprise them both and kill her. Then the Cullens wouldn't need to come here and more importantly, my mate would be safe.

Either way, we would be leaving Forks. I just hope that she would understand that I needed to change her and soon. I know that she always begged Edward to change her, but with everything that has happened since I have been back in her life, would she still want it? I just can't take the chance that she could be killed.

Peter told me that Riley had run to an old abandoned warehouse in downtown Seattle. They had been able to take a quick look inside and found newborns numbering about twenty. Victoria had been there, but she was pissed that Riley hadn't been able to kill Bella. We needed to go and deal with them now.

I decided that since my mate was asleep that now would be as good a time as any to go and take these vampires down. Char would stay with her as well as Carlisle and Esme. Although they would stay in the next room out of Bella's sight. No need to piss off my mate. Char would stay in the room with her, with the promise of not leaving her side for anything. If they were under attack, she was to take Bella and run.

I don't know if Victoria realizes it or not, but she has just unleashed a monster, me. And the monster was about to unleash his wrath on her. One thing for sure, she wouldn't know what hit her until it was too late.

**Bella's POV**

I woke up in Jasper's arms. I thought at first that he had stayed with me all night, but realized that when I went to sleep Jasper had his shirt off. Now it was on with a different pair of pants. He quickly explained that he had left Char with me while he and Peter went to try to take care of Victoria.

They had been successful in removing the threats of all of the newborns but Victoria had already fled. They had tried unsuccessfully to track her, but they had lost her. It seems that since Riley only had one hand, he was no good to Victoria as they found his ashes in the warehouse.

Of course I had so many questions. Mainly about how can Jasper and I be mates and not have known it. Maybe I did feel the pull, and I know I had the pain when they left in my chest. It felt like a huge hole had been ripped out, my heart. Maybe I only thought it was Edward that caused it. Maybe it was for Jasper all the time.

Jasper helped me up and even though he growled at Char she made him leave the bedroom while she helped me to shower and change. I had to keep my head dry because of the stitches so I needed help. She had to help me get dressed as well because it hurt to move very much.

I had to settle for one of Jasper's T-shirts and a pair of his boxers. All of my clothes that were at dad's and at my own apartment had been destroyed. I didn't mind as I could smell Jasper's scent on what I was wearing. The second I was covered, Jasper was back in the room. Char was about to yell at him but he growled and then pulled me into his arms.

He picked me up and took me into the main area of the suite where a table was, that was loaded with eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, toast, fresh fruit cut up, two different kinds of juice, coffee and milk, sat waiting for me. There was enough to feed a small army.

Peter told me that he wasn't sure what I liked so he ordered some of everything. He was standing next to the table with a towel draped over his arm like a waiter. He pulled out the chair that had been placed so that I could eat. Now, how do I explain that I'm not sure I can eat, my mouth and lips were hurting just saying the few words I did say.

I decided to at least try for their benefit. The eggs were scrambled and I could chew them and swallow without much pain, the rest was way too hard, or just hurt too badly to even try. I knew that the little I did eat wouldn't be enough to satisfy my mate, as he started asking what else could I eat. I had to settle on letting him order me some oatmeal.

Once I was done he sent Char and Peter out to buy me some decent clothes. I knew he wanted to tell me his story and I needed to hear what happened. I was mostly interested in if he knew we were mates. The thought that he might have known and ignored it bothered me more than anything else at this point, but there was one thing that I needed to know before anything else was said.

It still hurt to talk but I have to know, "Jasper, before you tell me anything else, there's something I need you to answer for me. You remember that when I was with fuckward there was always one thing that I begged him for. Do you remember what it was?"

He was staring at me and his eyes turned black, "Bella, please, we can't do anything like that right now. That's not to say that I wouldn't love to rip those clothes of mine off of you and make you scream my name while I bring you more pleasure than you even thought possible, but darlin', you really need to heal first."

My mouth even sore flew open and I knew without even looking in a mirror that I was blushing. Mostly because the boxers I had on were now wet. I couldn't understand how I could get this aroused just by him talking, or even just looking at me. It probably had something to do with us being mates.

Finally, I was able to answer him, "Besides that Jasper. Really is that all you can think about, sex? Never mind, don't answer that. No, what I was referring to was me wanting to become a vampire. Edward always refused to turn me. I was wondering if you would turn me? I'm tired of being a human target for every fucking vampire in Washington. Of course we couldn't do it here, but I was thinking that maybe, if you wanted to of course, well, maybe we could go. ."

I was cut off by his lips on mine. He was very gentle and the kiss was very light, but it still caused me to melt into his embrace. I felt his emotions, at least I assumed they were his. Love, passion, excitement, joy and happiness. I knew then, I had my answer. . .

**A/N Please let me know what you think. Did you like the little humor there towards the end? Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added this story to their favorites and alerts. Love you guys. Next chapter we hear Jasper's story. Now I already know that there will be questions especially about Alice. You can ask and I'll let you know if I can answer you without giving the story away. Thanks for reading.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N A huge thanks to OoJasper'sAngeloO for her beta work on this chapter. Now, we get to hear what happened with Jasper and the Cullens. Hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Bella's POV**

He broke the kiss and then smiled, "Darlin', there is no way that I won't turn ya. I need you to be with me for eternity and the only way to do that is for you to become a vampire. Sides', with you bein' such a danger magnet its the only way to keep ya safe."

I wanted to smack that smug look on his face, off! But it was true. Since I have been back in Forks I have been attacked twice. Even though it was the same fucking vampire, I was getting kind of tired of being the fucking walking target.

I had so many questions and I guess he pretty much knew it as he spoke up again, "Darlin' I know you have a lot of questions, because I had the same fucking questions and some didn't get answered until I saw you again. I know you are in pain, but would you at least be up to listenin' to me tell ya what happened after we left? Most of your questions will be answered once you know everything, but before I start I have a question for you that I really need for you to answer."

I just nodded for him to ask, "Before you were taken you acted like you were angry with me. You kept pushin' me away, wouldn't talk to me and you seemed to not even want to be around me at all. Did I do somethin' to upset you? I need you to tell me what did I do so I can either fix it, or at least apologize and try not to do it again."

I know I was blushing. Thinking back on it, it seemed kind of silly, but I had believed him, "I'm sorry about that, but it was I guess what you would call a self-defense mechanism. When you were talking to Carlisle I heard you tell him that you had found your true mate. If that was true then that meant that you would be leaving me. I figured you were just staying around protecting me because you felt guilty for what happened at my birthday party and was trying to make up for it. I knew I was falling for you and it would have killed me when you left. So I started pushing you away, hoping that I could protect myself from the same kind of pain. If you had figured out what had been bothering me, would you have told me the truth? Or would you have just waited for me to figure it out?"

"I had already decided that if I found you alive that I was goin' to tell ya. I realized when you were taken that I couldn't live if anything were to happen to you. I was goin' to tell ya as soon as I could, but you were badly injured and needed to be taken care of. You have no idea how happy you made me when you told me you knew. I was also plannin' to tell ya that I would be turnin' ya sooner, rather than later, but not until we're out of Forks, its too dangerous here and Victoria is still on the loose. I'm not takin' any fuckin' chances that she might show up durin' that time. You would be too vulnerable. Now, do you want to lay down while I tell ya about what happened or do you want to sit up?"

"I'll sit up if you don't mind. I'll let you know if I need to lay down, but will you just continue to hold my hand? I feel calmer touching you, is that because you're an empath or is it because we're mates?"

"It's because we are mates. Mates are the only ones able to calm each other just by touchin'. Why do you think I've been makin' sure to always be touchin' ya in some way? Now at least lean back and let me talk woman."

I sighed heavily, but did lean my back against his chest, but is was awkward since we were sitting side by side. He quickly fixed that by pulling me into his lap. The coolness of his skin actually felt good against my aching and sore muscles.

Once settled he started, "I guess the best place to start is at the beginnin' long before you were even born. I already told you about when I was turned and about my time with Maria. What I didn't tell you was what Maria turned me into. A monster. The first few years of my life as a vampire was filled with death, destruction, blood, sex and more death. I was a killin' machine. I thrived on what I did all because I loved Maria. I would do anything for her. We actually would have sex while bathin' in the blood of our victims. You already know about the newborns I created as well as how they would be destroyed when they turned a year old. What I also didn't tell you was how I got the scars I carry on my body."

I turned around slowly and looked at him. He was nervous and so I asked him what scars. He told me he would show me after he had told me everything. His exact words were, "I want you to know everything before you see the scars. At least that way you'll know the whole story before you decide that I'm too scarred up to be with you."

"Not gonna happen Whitlock, please continue." I replied.

"Anyway, like I was sayin' I started to realize that what I had with Maria wasn't love. It was when Peter found his mate Char that I knew for sure that Maria didn't love me. She just controlled me. It was shortly after that, that I let Peter and Char go. I was punished severely for that by Maria.

It finally got to the point where I was goin' to let myself be killed. I hated everything and everyone except for Peter and Char. I was real close to it when they came back for me. You also know how killin' humans bothered me so badly that I would go into a deep depression every time I killed. You already know how I met Alice so I'll skip that part and go on to what she told me.

She told me we were mates. I had felt hope for the first time since I had been turned, so of course I believed her. Little did I know that she was usin' me the same way as Maria, I was a good fuck. I never stopped to question why I never felt the pull, or the pain when we were separated.

A few months before you came to Forks she started havin' visions that apparently showed you joinin' the family. She didn't like what she saw and started to maneuver things so that things would happen the way she wanted them to. Like she told me that there was a new girl comin' to Forks and that I would need to stay away from her at all costs. She saw me killin' ya darlin'. At least that's what she told me.

What she didn't tell me was that you were in fact my mate. Now some things I learned before leavin' the family while other things I figured out after I ran into you. So I'm going to tell you in the order that things happened.

My first inkling that something wasn't right was when she offered for us to take you to Phoenix when James' was after you. You remember how Alice's gift works right? If someone makes a decision, she can see the course that they are on, until, or unless they change their minds, then their course changes.

Once there she had several visions including the one where she saw your ballet studio. When she told us about it, I could feel that she was feelin' excitement. It wasn't the excitement of a fight, but of someone about to get their wish granted. I thought that was strange since a vampire was after her best friend. I chose to ignore it as thinking that maybe she was excited at seeing James' defeated.

It wasn't until later that I found out the excitement came from her vision all right, but it wasn't James' death she saw, it was yours. She also saw you getting away from me just like you did at the airport, but said nothing. She had to let it happen since it was going to lead to your death. Or so she thought.

She had seen that there would be something that would keep the rest of us from getting there in time to save you, again she said nothing. What she didn't take into account was that Edward wouldn't be able to stand around while waitin' for a car. He took off yellin' for us to catch up.

Of course that changed everything and you survived. She seemed to almost be angry, but was able to hide it for the most part. That was the catalyst that started the decline in our marriage. Every time we had sex after that it was more of an angry sex than anything else. It only happened like two times after that. And after the last time, I refused to touch her.

In the meantime I need to back up just a little bit and tell you what was goin' on with me personally. I know that you are probably wonderin' why I at least didn't know we were mates. You have to realize that being an empath does have its downfalls.

I can feel emotions from others and at times its hard to know if they are my own or someone else's. Did I feel the pull, yes I did. I also felt the pain when you weren't around, but I honestly thought it was comin' from Edward, for you. I did mention it to Alice one time and she agreed that I was indeed feelin' what he was feelin'. I never thought to question it at the time.

On top of all of that there was something else that was happenin' and I never realized until after the family left. Something that I thought for sure was just comin' from Edward. It wasn't until a few weeks after we had left and Alice and I had gotten into another argument that I realized the horrible truth or at least what I thought was horrible truth. I had fallen in love with you.

It wasn't something that slowly happened, I had fallen in love with you before James even came into the picture. There were times when it was so over powerin' that I had to leave. Alice had me convinced that I was just feelin' what you and Edward felt for each other. It bothered me that I felt angry at the way Edward treated you and actually found myself cheerin' when he would work you up and leave you frustrated. I found myself wishin' I could be the one to comfort you.

Then the incident with James happened. I was told by both Alice and Edward to stay away from you after that. The more I watched you with Edward the more controllin' he seemed to become, Alice as well. You were never left alone and I would have to leave before you got there. I was too dangerous to be trusted alone with you.

Then came the day of your birthday party. Alice tried her damnedest to keep me from huntin' properly that day. I did go and hunt against Alice's wishes. By this time I had already moved on and had filed for divorce. Even though the family didn't know this at the time.

Again, I found out after we had left that Alice saw what was goin' to happen at the party and made sure to have plenty of glassware. She wanted me to attack. I still felt guilty that you thought I was actually attackin' but I wasn't. I was tryin' to stop Edward.

Again, what Alice didn't see was the split decision from Edward to push you away from himself. All she had seen was me lungin' and you dyin'. I tried to tell Carlisle and Esme the truth of what happened, but of course they believed Edward and Alice over me.

I was blamed for everything and Alice convinced Edward that we needed to leave. You know the rest of that part of it. What you don't know is a few weeks after we had left, I had had it. Alice had made a slip of the tongue, something about keepin' me away from you.

She never told me that we were mates, but I was able to get her to admit that she was deliberately keepin' us apart. She tried to get me back in her bedroom and back in her bed. I refused. She got angry and blew up admittin' to all I have just told you. All she would say about you and I is that you would destroy her handiwork and our marriage. Her handiwork bein' me.

She also convinced Edward that you were his mate. And Carlisle and Esme that I was a monster and needed to be forced to commit to our marriage. After another few days of arguin' that I wanted nothing more to do with Alice, I left, but not before makin' her sign the divorce papers.

Now, I need to say a few more things and then I'm done. When we were ordered to pack up and told we were leavin' you behind, Emmett argued against leavin'. Rose of course felt it was for the best, this way you could have a normal life.

When she saw how deeply it was affectin' Emmett she argued to stay as well. Emmett got so pissed that instead of goin' with us, he took Rose and they left the family. They keep in contact with me, but refuse to go back to the family.

Rose was able to "make a deal" with Emmett, promising him that after five years they would come and check on you. Of course you were already gone, living in Seattle.

Now Alice still has Carlisle and Esme convinced that I'm Alice's mate but I'm just refusin' to see it or accept it and of course, you are Edward's mate. I'm hopin' that lettin' them see us together for a few days might show them that you and not Alice is my true mate."

**Jasper's POV**

I looked down and saw the tears flowing freely down my mates face. I knew she was hurting from the fact that Alice wanted her dead. I gave her a couple of minutes and then asked if she was ready to see my scars. She turned around so that she was facing me and started to unbutton my shirt. I knew that this was going to make or break our relationship.

Once my shirt was undone I put Bella on the couch next to me and removed it. I closed my eyes, as I knew she would be disgusted just as Alice had always been. I waited. . .

**A/N I'm letting everyone know that tomorrow is my birthday so please review it will be a great birthday present. Also, I will be posting the next chapter of The Death of Jasper Hale tomorrow evening. It will have Catherine's story mostly. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and added this story to their favorites and alerts. Love you guys.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N A huge thanks goes to OoJasper'sAngeloO for her beta work. Not much going on except Bella wanting to get into Jasper's pants. Mostly filler to lead into the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Bella's POV**

I could tell by the way that he had his eyes closed after removing his shirt that he was expecting me to be repulsed or run away from him. If he had been looking at me I'm sure he would have seen that I would do neither. Especially now.

I know that I was looking at him, but the only thing I was feeling was desire. His chest was well defined with muscles, including what I believe they call a "six-pack" and he had a line of hair that trailed down and ended at the waist of his jeans. There was a part of me that wanted to follow that trail and see where it ended.

Then I saw that there were scars, the same kind that I had on my wrist. Only his covered every square inch of his chest, arms, shoulders and neck. Since we were both sitting, I'm going to assume that his back was the same way. There were hundreds at least and there were a couple of places that the scars were thicker, as if he had been bitten in the exact same place over and over.

I started to trace some of them. He had broad shoulders with his hips being narrow. His arms were muscular without being overly so. I couldn't help myself, he was so fucking sexy. I just started rubbing his chest and abs, making sure to graze over his nipples. I watched as they hardened under my touch. I heard a low hiss.

Then I trailed my fingers downwards, following his happy trail. When I got to the waistband of his jeans I put a finger just under the edge and started rubbing back and forth. I felt him harden underneath me and had to smile at the affect I was having on him.

I was about to try to undo his pants when his hands grabbed mine and stopped me. I looked up into his eyes and they were black, yet there was a fire in them, "What are you doin' darlin'? You should be runnin' right about now."

"Jasper, can't you feel what I'm feeling right now? Its not fear or revulsion. You are very sexy Major and I can't wait to see what else you have in these jeans of yours. I don't see the ugliness you do when I look at your scars. I see proof of just how strong you are, not because of your physical strength, but your strength of character. You chose to walk away from that lifestyle and have never returned. You are the strongest person I know." I whispered still wanting to get into his pants.

He stared at me for a full minute before speaking,"I was afraid to feel your emotions. I was afraid I would feel what I feel from others when they see my scars. Fear and revulsion being the most prominent. I didn't want to feel that from you so I pulled my gift back so I wouldn't feel yours. I can see that as usual you have surprised me once again. Where I should be feeling fear, revulsion and rejection, I only feel desire, lust and longing."

I blushed. The last time I had felt these emotions was when I was with the asshole. I still can't believe I fucking felt that shit with him. He was a boy, Jasper on the other hand is rugged, manly, with a hot body, that also screams "dangerous". I was not ashamed that I felt like ripping these stupid jeans from his body and doing things to him to please him.

I heard a growl and looked up again to see that it was coming from Jasper. I realized that he must have felt my emotions and damn if that growl wasn't the sexiest thing I have ever heard. Wonder if I can get him to do that when we. . .

"Isabella please! Stop with the lust. I'm about to lose control and I will not touch you until you are fully healed. Although, I must say that the desire you feel for me makes me happy. I feel the same way and it shows me that your body at least recognizes me as your mate. I will tell you now that when your body is completely healed, I will have you, all of you, naked, in my bed. I will do things to you that will have you screamin' my name in pleasure. Until then you need to rest and I need to make plans to get us to Texas. Especially now that the Cullens are moving back to help the wolves with the Victoria situation. I want us away from here before Edward comes back. I do have one question though, would you want to see Emmett and Rose? At least think about it before givin' me an answer. Remember they both left the family because they didn't want to leave you or at least Emmett didn't want to and Rose didn't like seeing Emmett hurtin' the way he was over leavin'. I understand that they could have come back instead of stayin' away, but they wanted to give you a chance at a human life. I can tell ya, Emmett has never been the same since they left. I'm hopin' that you'll be at least willin' to hear them out. You can think about it and then let me know. Now, its time for the human to get some rest."

"When are we leaving? Didn't you say something about letting Carlisle and Esme watch us together so that they could see that we are mates? What about that?" I asked.

"It will take a couple of days to get everything ready. That's why I was askin' about seein' Em and Rose. They live off and on in Texas. They are close to my place there and I was going to ask them to go and turn the heat on and then stock the kitchen with food. If you wanted to see them then I would have them wait until we got there. If not, then I would make sure that they were gone. Either way I'm goin' to be talkin' to them and explainin' everything to them. I'll stand by whatever you want to do and even if it hurts them, they will abide by your wishes. They might come here and join the family until Victoria has been dealt with. We can let Carlisle and Esme watch us as you heal and get everything ready for our trip. You don''t have to even acknowledge them. I have no clue how they would react in knowin' that Alice deceived them into believin' her fuckin' bullshit. I would like the answer to that, so they'll be here with us. Now lets get you to bed."

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity for the vampires, but for me it meant staying either in bed, or sitting on the couch and reading or watching TV. The Major was taking care of me, not letting me move around too much. To tell the truth, my body was in a lot of pain and it hurt to do just that. Carlisle and Esme were around, but had been warned about speaking to me unless I spoke to them first. It seems that they were at least willing to abide by the Major's rules that he had given them.

Jasper was very concerned about me traveling while I was in pain so he said that we would be leaving a week from this Friday. Carlisle told him that most of the bruising and pain would be gone, but suggested that he wait until we got to Texas to try to be intimate. Char had explained that vampires, especially males, were very sexual creatures and when they find their mates they bond, then claim and mark them. It was a testimony to Jasper's control, as he did nothing at all except kiss me and he made sure they were chaste.

When Char had told me about male mates needing to claim their mates as soon as they found them. I knew then, beyond any shadow of doubt that Edward had never been meant for me. He had no desire to touch me other than holding my hand, or chaste kisses. Had he known what Alice was doing, or did he truly believe what Alice told him. Did he even stop to wonder about the mating pull and why it wasn't there?

When I had asked Jasper about marking me, he told me that he couldn't do that until he was ready to turn me. I reminded him that I had been bitten and the venom had been sucked out, he could do the same. I wanted to wear his mark on me, it seemed that even human I had all of the desires that a mate is supposed to have.

Carlisle checked on me everyday. He never spoke to me directly. It was one of the rules for being allowed to stay around and take care of me. I had nothing to say so I stayed quiet. I did watch as the sadness became more pronounced in Esme's eyes. She wasn't allowed to speak to me either.

I knew they both wanted to see me forgive them. How could I do that when they had proclaimed to love me as a daughter and yet could leave me without a word. They listened to everything Alice and Edward had told them. Because I was left defenseless, my family and friends are dead. If they had truly loved me they would have at least tried to explain why they felt they needed to leave.

Instead, they listened to a stupid seventeen year old boy and a vindictive bitch that only cares how her visions can help her get what she wants. What she wants is Jasper, not to help him or even love him, but to use him. She had always told me what a great lover he is in bed.

That thought pisses me off every time I remember the things that she had told me. It was almost as if she was gloating about having him in her bed. Jasper of course felt the pain of those thoughts, as well as the anger and made me tell him what was wrong. I didn't want to at first. I mean how do you tell a very dangerous vampire that his ex-wife has gone to great lengths and extreme details of their times in bed? She also made sure to tell me how she had satisfied him in bed.

Jasper sat down with me in his lap and explained a few things that apparently Alice failed to tell me. He told me that he has been with more than one vampire female, but that every single one of them were only out to receive pleasure. Maria being his first lover ever had taught him everything he knew about pleasing a female.

With Alice it was always about making sure she was satisfied. He laughed at one point telling me how she would lay down and let him bring her pleasure, then fuck her in the missionary position only. She never touched him beyond kissing. She didn't like his scars and sometimes even went so far as to tell him to keep his shirt on. In other words, she had used him as well.

Then he told me that he understood from other mated couples that it was totally different for a mated couple. The sex felt different and had been described as mind blowing. It wasn't just sex. It was the union of two souls coming together in the most intimate of ways and feeling a bond that is so totally unbreakable that numerous vampires have died horrible deaths because they tried to come between mates. It was one of the laws that the Volturi enforced strictly.

For any vampire that did, death was certain. If a vampire killed a mate, that vampire could be taken to the Volturi where they would suffer before death would finally take them. While it was against vampire laws to kill another vampire knowingly, in the case of mates it wasn't enforced.

That part confused me because James' was mated to Victoria so she had a right, if you will, to try to kill the ones she felt responsible. Why didn't they come and wipe out the Cullens? Jasper explained that it was because they were never told. Now, it could be argued that he had been killed because he was trying to kill me and I was the mate of a vampire or so I thought.

The problem with that is that I'm still human. I should have been turned, or killed. If they ever were to find out, Jasper and I could both be killed whether or not I was a vampire. The Cullens probably as well. While I didn't really care about what happened to some of them, I didn't want to see the others destroyed because of the asshole's desire to be stupid.

The last day of our stay here in Forks something happened that made me really consider seeing Em and Rose. Carlisle and Esme had been watching Jasper and I and had seen how we reacted to each others presence. There was an especially tender moment and it seemed to have made both of them realize that maybe they should re-examine the things Alice had told them.

I was sitting watching TV and Carlisle came in to examine me one last time. We were leaving early the next morning and he just wanted to make sure that the stitches were removed and that the cuts were healing properly. After the exam they both stayed in the living room. I knew they wanted to talk to me, but I was feeling a little off today. I was missing my dad.

A show came on that had a dad and he was taking his little girl fishing. It reminded me of my own dad and it started another round of tears. Jasper, who had been packing in his room, was by my side in a second. He had looked at Carlisle and growled loudly thinking that either one had said something to upset me.

He scooped me up and sat down putting me in his lap, he started to nuzzle my neck while purring. This was how mates comforted each other. Since only mates could purr in the presence of their mate Carlisle and Esme had now seen the truth. They had never seen Edward purr for me, nor had they ever heard Jasper purr for Alice or her for him.

Did this mean that I now forgave them? Fuck no! They still would rather believe what they had been told than to watch and see the truth for themselves. While I did feel less hatred towards them, it still hurts that they didn't stop to even consider anything else or that they weren't seeing the mating bond between Edward and I or even Jasper and Alice. They chose rather to believe the lies, than to seek out if they were being told the truth or not.

Since they themselves are a true mated couple they should have known the truth. If they had stopped to try and see the signs of us being mated, they would have known and maybe everything could have worked out without anyone having to die. Maybe Jasper and I would have been able to spend time together and then the truth would have been known by everyone. All of that time and lives lost, all because of one vindictive vampire slut, who only wanted Jasper who would please her any time she wanted.

We left early, while it was still dark. We would be driving all the way and taking our time. Being human meant a lot of stops and they planned on stopping each night to let me rest properly. The cuts were still healing and Jasper was taking no chances with my health. I told him he was being silly, but he refused to back off of his decisions when it came to me.

I still haven't decided on if I should see Em and Rose. They had been told everything and while Rose seemed to be a little skeptical about Jasper and I being together, she wasn't a total bitch about it either. Jasper's words not mine.

Em on the other hand had gotten excited on hearing that I would still be a part of the family. I could hear the sadness in his voice when Jasper told him that I might not want to see him, ever. He had put the speaker on so I could hear. When Em heard about what happened to mom, Phil and then dad, he went from rage at Edward for making them leave, to pain and sadness at what I have had to deal with since they left.

Jasper used this to his advantage, as he was still close to both of them. He gave me this look that was so fucking sad and pleading at the same time, so I finally agreed to at least listen to them. I told Jasper that this didn't mean I could accept them back into my life. I just wasn't sure I could trust them.

Then Jasper shocked me and asked me to let him feel what I felt when the family had left. He wanted to better understand exactly what had hurt the most. I think he just wanted to make sure that it wasn't just Edward leaving that had hurt.

Unfortunately, the thought of Edward leaving did nothing, I felt nothing anymore. So, I thought of when Em, Rose, Carlisle and Esme as well as himself left me without a word. He actually doubled over in a sitting position. I pulled it back quickly but it was enough for him to understand.

He held me tightly and he was shaking. He kept apologizing over and over for having caused me that kind of pain. A few minutes later, we were turning down a dirt road. We were here and in a few minutes I would be face to face with part of my past. The problem is, am I really ready for this. . .

**A/N Please tell me what you think. Next chapter we'll hear from Emmett, and Rose. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favored and added this story to their alerts love you guys.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N A huge thanks to my friend and beta OoJasper'sAngeloO. Thanks for all your help girl. We finally get to hear more about what happened with the Cullens. We hear from Emmett and Rose. Hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Jasper's POV**

While holding my mate as she slept last night, I made a call to Emmett. She had decided to at least listen to what they had to say. I knew that Emmett wasn't going to be happy, but he needed to understand that Edward forcing us to leave had had a domino effect on her.

I quietly explained that she had agreed to listen to them, but that didn't mean she forgave them. I told him that he would have to wait to hear everything that had happened from Bella. I did tell them about fact that she was indeed my mate. Since they were already gone when I found out what Alice had been doing I had to explain that as well.

To say they were pissed would be an understatement. Even Rose said that she always knew that Alice and I weren't mates. None of the mating instincts were there between us. Emmett asked how Bella was and I knew he wasn't asking about her physical health.

Carlisle had called and told them about Charlie. Em was more worried about how Bella was doing with all of the bullshit that had gone down. It broke his heart to know that Bella had lost her father all because of the fucking boy that said Victoria wouldn't be a problem. He had been on my side when I wanted to hunt her down and destroy her before she could hurt Bella.

For that part I can only blame myself. I listened to both Edward and Alice. I have been part of an army for almost a hundred years. I have seen first hand what happened when a mate was killed. Yet I too chose to turn my back on my own mate.

I told Emmett that I had no clue if Bella would forgive him. I truly hoped that she would. Emmett loved Bella deeply and it tore him apart to leave her and yet he wanted to give her a chance to move on with her life. I hated having to cause him more pain, but he needed to be prepared for her rejection.

Rose asked if she should leave and let Emmett and Bella have time to talk. I told her no, she needed to see and hear both of them. I had a feeling that Rose would see how much Bella had changed and that she would like the new and improved version. Yeah, my mate was a spitfire now. I could tell that she wouldn't take shit from anyone. Not even from me.

There's a part of me that would love to see her reaction to seeing Edward. I have a feeling that the shit would be flying everywhere. I know he still insists that she is his mate. I also know that she won't take the bullshit that he would spew out of his mouth. I couldn't wait.

**Bella's POV**

I wasn't sure if I was ready for this. As we drove down the long winding drive way I was reminded of another one that used to bring excitement when I was traveling down it. I'm not even sure how I'm feeling right now. I think of out of all of the family that it was Emmett's leaving without a word that hurt the most.

I was surprised that they had left the family because they were listening to the asshole. At least it sounds like they stood up for me. Even though they never came back, at least right away. If only they had come back sooner, maybe the people in my life who have lost their lives because of me would still be here.

I was broken out of my thoughts when we pulled up to a huge ranch style house. It was beautiful and yet had a rugged look to it. It fit Jasper perfectly as well as Peter and Char. It had the largest wrap around porch I have ever seen. It was secluded and it was perfect.

I saw Emmett and Rose standing in front of the door waiting for us. Of course they looked the same and I could feel the pain of their abandonment coming to the surface. Jasper could feel it and sent me some calm. I turned and glared at him letting him know that I needed to feel what I was feeling. I needed to heal and this was the only way, to face those who had hurt me the most.

While most of the bruising was healed the cuts on my cheek and lip were still healing and were obvious. My body still was stiff especially after having spent the last few days in the car. We had stopped often and always at night so I could rest in a bed. I tried to argue that I could sleep in the car, but Jasper wouldn't listen. He insisted that I rest in a bed, and I was still too weak to argue.

Jasper helped me out of the car and then wrapped his arm around my waist and led me towards the house. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "If you're not ready to talk to them then you can go upstairs and come down when you're ready. This is your house just as much as it is mine, you get a choice as to who comes in and who you see. Don't worry about upsettin' me, just tell me what you want."

Did I want to see them? Am I ready for another roller coaster ride with my emotions? No, but I decided to get it over with. So I told him just that. It was still early morning and we had stopped an hour ago so I could eat before getting here. It was a good thing too because I wasn't sure I could have eaten right now.

It was Rose who spoke up first, "Bella, you are looking tired, would you like to rest before letting us talk to you? I know that you think I hate you, but its not as simple as that. I would like to explain that as well, if you'll let me that is."

She sounded sincere but then so did Edward when he told me that he loved me and then when he told me he didn't and that I was just a distraction. But I had promised Jasper that I would listen to them before shutting them out of my life. Although, I wasn't really sure if I could do it, shut them out. I missed Emmett so much, but he had left me as well.

We went into the house which was furnished in such a way that it spoke of a couple living here and not vampires either. It was simple, without being cheap, looked both masculine and feminine at the same time. I could see Char's touch here.

Jasper led me over to the couch and sat down with me next to him. He kept one arm around my shoulders and the other held my hand. I watched as Emmett and Rose sat on the love seat that faced the couch we were sitting on. Jasper was the first to speak, "Before anyone starts I think that we should come to an agreement. Its simple, Bella needs to tell the two of you everything that has happened, includin' what Edward really said to her when he left her. You two need to tell her what happened with you. She can go first, whoever is sharin' should be allowed to talk until they're done. Then questions can be asked if needed. I'm seein' this from both sides and its goin' to be hard on everyone here. So no interruptions, and no askin' questions until after the story is finished."

Emmett and Rose nodded their agreement and then Jasper told me to go ahead and tell them everything. So I told them about Victoria, the death of Renee and Phil. While they already knew of their deaths they didn't know the specifics. Then about the death of Sam and Jacob. They already knew about Charlie's death so I didn't have to talk about that. I was grateful as the pain was still too fresh.

Then I told them what Edward had told me when he left. They were both extremely angry, but they kept quiet until I told them that was everything. Jasper went over everything he had told me about Alice even though they knew some of it.

By the time Jasper was done Emmett had his head in his hands. He was torn between feeling so horrible for not being there for his little sister and being angry at Edward, Alice, Carlisle and Esme. I didn't have to have Jasper's gift to know that.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I watched as Rose tried to comfort her mate. She was rubbing his back. I could see the pain on her beautiful face at her mate's pain. I had to give her credit for one thing, she loved her mate deeply. There was also anger that I could see in her eyes. For once, it wasn't directed at me.

Rose was the one that started talking, "Bella, I would still like to talk to you privately after you have heard our side. Did Jasper tell you what Edward told us?"

Shaking my head no, I turned to Jasper, "Darlin' this will be new to me as well. I never heard what he said to Rose and Emmett. Alice and I left before he even broke up with you. We left after the blow up between Emmett, Rose and Edward, and that was right after he got home from takin' you home. I was only there long enough to hear Emmett refusin' to leave. They never told me what Edward told them."

"Jasper you know I don't like you to manipulate my emotions, but if you feel me getting overwhelmed, I want you to help me this time. I need to hear everything, you know like ripping the band aid off all at once. I can take the time to deal with the emotions later. I have a bad feeling that I'm going to end up getting even more pissed off before this is over. Please continue Rose, and don't leave anything out." I warned her.

"Of course Bella, you should know one thing about me, I don't lie and I don't color the truth. You need to understand something though. You can see how badly Em is with knowing how our leaving like we did affected you and your family. He has been hurting badly since we left. He had actually stopped smiling. It hurt him deeper than anything I have ever seen to leave you. We left after everyone else was gone, but we didn't go far. He wanted to stay close.

We moved to Oregon with plans to check on you after five years. The only reason we were going to wait so long was because of what Edward had told us. We weren't going to contact you unless we had to, you know like if you were in danger. Either from well. . .I'm sorry Jasper but well. . .Edward and Alice both led us to believe that you might come back to finish what you started. Or if the Volturi found out she knew about our kind. We would have come back and turned you if that had happened." I felt anger at this, but I also could feel it pouring off of Jasper.

Jasper had growled but finally got himself under control. Emmett picked it up,"Rose and I had talked it over and while the pain of not having you in my life was there, we both wanted you to at least try to have a human life. I was still convinced that you were made to be one of us. We didn't know about Alice, we did know that Jasper wasn't her mate. Any mated vampire could watch and tell right away that they weren't meant for each other.

You both need to know exactly what Edward told us. It was probably the same thing you heard Jazz. Bella broke up with him, telling him she was tired of being in danger every time she came around us. Jasper's attack had made her realize that since Edward wasn't going to turn her she needed to remove herself from the danger, us. She told Edward that she wanted a clean break, with no reminders of us left behind. She didn't even want to say good-bye. Bella you have no idea how much that hurt me. I was so sure that you would want to at least say bye to your big brother. I tried to go and see you, but Edward refused to allow me to go. I was going to go anyway, but Carlisle told me that I should respect your wishes. It was the last thing I could give you. I listened to him.

I argued for hours with Edward and Carlisle that you wouldn't have done that and that I needed to see you, hear it from your own mouth. When I saw that they weren't going to back off or let me try to see you, I got so fucking pissed off. I told them they were no longer my family, because family didn't just up and leave a family member. We left. I did call Jasper and tell him we were no longer a part of the family.

He kept in touch with us and we finally got the call we had been expecting to get from him. He left Alice. He never told us why and we tried to get him to come and stay with us, but he needed to get away from the whole family and even though we had left, we were reminders of that family. He did promise to come and visit, but he never did.

We didn't last five years. When it had been four years we went to see how you were doing. You were gone and we found out that you had gone off to collage. You were safe and living your life. If we had known about Victoria we would have stayed in Forks. We only found out about you being in collage because we checked the mail and saw your letters to your dad. We never saw anyone, not even the wolves.

We moved here to Texas close to Jasper. We never talked about you, or anything that had happened. It was a taboo to even mention you. I did that one time and Jasper went into a depression. It was bad. Then something caught our attention, something that also perked Jasper up.

We started hearing about the attacks in Seattle. It wasn't hard to figure out is was vampires. Peter told Jasper that his knower was going off like crazy and that they needed to go to Seattle to check it out. At first he wasn't going to go. Said he was tired of the fighting and he just wanted to stay here.

When I told him that I knew for a fact that you had been living in Seattle he still didn't want to go. He was sure you hated him and blamed him for the disastrous birthday party as well as Edward leaving. The pain of seeing the hatred in your eyes for him that he was sure would be there kept him from going. Peter finally convinced him to go by reminding him of the possibility of the Volturi showing up and finding out about you.

Bella, I know that you have every right to hate us. We should have come back right away as soon as Edward was gone. We never thought that Victoria would still be around. Edward told us she wasn't that close to James and Alice said that she didn't see her coming back, ever. We truly thought we were doing what you wanted, staying away. I'm so fucking sorry I wasn't there for you. Please, can you forgive me? I'm not leaving you ever again, unless you tell me to that is. Even then, I'll only stay out of sight, but I'll stay close. Please, I need you to be in my life."

I sat there looking at him. I could see that if he was human he would be crying. The venom in his eyes told me as much. I'm not sure how long I just sat there. I had to think. Without saying a word I got up from the couch and turned to Char who had been sitting in a chair across from us, "Which room is mine. I need to think, ALONE."

Char led me up to what I assumed was Jasper's room. There was a huge bed in there. It was so far up that there was a step stool to climb up onto it. I just climbed up on it. I knew that Em was hurting, but so was I. I needed to think, without Jasper or anyone else.

Of course I felt the pain of Jasper's absence. Even though I knew he was downstairs. I knew that my actions had probably hurt him. I hated that, but hearing everything had brought up the pain of losing my parents and friends to a psychotic vampire who was hell bent on destroying everything good in my life. All because of the stupid ego of thinking he knew what was best for me, Edward fucking Cullen. The hatred was going deeper into my soul and I knew that if I ever saw him again that I would kill him.

Then I realized that after talking to everyone that he still loved me or thought he did. Maybe it would be better if he lived, knowing that his actions not only destroyed six very good, loving and honest people, but led me to finding and being with my true mate.

After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. It was Rose. She told me it was just her and I and that everyone had gone hunting. She asked if I was alright and then apologized for how she had treated me when I was with the asshole. She told me her story of how she was raped, beaten and left for dead by five men including her husband to be. She had lost everything she had ever dreamed of having and while it might have seemed selfish, she didn't want to see me give up the chance to have what she couldn't.

I could see that she really wanted to try to make amends and be friends. I was willing to try I guess. I understood her reasons for her actions and I could see that they had been lied to and therefore, had made decisions based on those lies. Would it be so wrong to forgive them and try to start over? Maybe.

Then she said something that surprised me, "Bella, I can see that you and Jasper are true mates. You should have seen him when you left the room without even acknowledging him. He could feel your pain and you wouldn't let him help you. I've never seen him with that much pain in his eyes as he was when you walked out earlier. You need to understand that when a mated vampire sees their mate in pain whether its physical or emotional, they will die, go to the ends of the earth to stop that pain. I highly doubt that he's really hunting right now. You basically rejected him and the ability he has to help you with your pain."

I sat there for a minute before saying, "He can feel me right? Would, would he come back if I let the pain out? I can't let him hurt either Rose, but I just needed to be alone for a few minutes. Please, can you call him back?"

"She doesn't need to darlin'. I'm here." he replied while walking towards me. Now, I'm truly at home. . .

**A/N Please let me know what you think. Next chapter will see another enemy come into the picture, and one pissed off mate. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added this story to their favorites and alerts. Love you guys.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N A huge thanks goes to my friend and beta OoJasper'sAngeloO, thanks girl for all of your help with this chapter. I love ya. Well, it seems that there are more vampires after Bella. Lots of stuff going on in this chapter, hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Bella's POV**

The days were passing quickly and we had settled into a routine for the most part. While I still hadn't completely been able to forgive Emmett, I hadn't pushed him away either. Both him and Rose were staying with us for now.

I had realized that they had at least fought to try to stay and them leaving the family did mean that they did care in their own way. I understood why they stayed away, they had been lied to and stayed away believing that it was what I wanted. While our relationship wasn't back to what it had been at least I was willing to give Em a chance.

It seems that I was still in danger, not from Victoria, at least not right now. Apparently, when Carlisle, Esme and Alice moved back to Forks that they had finally been successful in contacting Edward. He was now in Forks and was raging.

Rose and Em were keeping in touch with Carlisle, mainly wanting to make sure that Edward and Alice both stayed there. Although Edward didn't know where we had gone, he did know about Jasper's place here.

He often called Rose demanding that she put me on the phone. She kept telling him that she didn't know where I was at. Even if she did, she wouldn't tell him. His job was to help the wolves catch and destroy Victoria, mainly to keep the Volturi from stepping in.

I had been completely healed for a few weeks now, but still Jasper hadn't done much more than kiss me. It wasn't for lack of trying. It was because of the danger of the possibility that Edward and/or Alice would come here. Therefore, we were never left alone.

Alice had called Rose and then Emmett's phones trying to speak to Jasper. I guess that since I had been with Jasper, they felt that Rose and Em would help them find out where we were. Jasper would refuse to answer his phone when he knew it was Alice.

According to the fucking shit Edward was spewing out to Rose and Emmett, I was his mate and the longer I was with Jasper, the more danger I was in. Poor Carlisle was having a hard time keeping Edward there and concentrating on the task at hand. He did finally convince Edward that it would be best to take care of Victoria, then he could work on finding me.

While I slept at night, the others, except for Jasper would go and hunt. He would hold me at night. If he needed to hunt he went alone, leaving the other four with me. I didn't mind because he usually went during the day.

I found myself bonding more and more with Peter, Char, Em and even Rose had found a spot in my heart. I had learned how to play the video games, that both Em and Peter seemed to love to play.

In the meantime I was becoming frustrated. My desire for Jasper had never decreased and we were never left alone. I found myself becoming more and more sharp and snapping at everyone.

Yeah, we were left alone at night, but they usually left after I was asleep. I tried to convince Jasper we could wait until they had left and then he could wake me up. He said that he needed to stay alert and focused in case either Edward or Victoria found out where we were.

He refused to be caught off guard because of his need to be with me. His number one priority was my safety. I was beginning to hate Edward and Alice even more. Even without being here, they were still able to keep Jasper and I apart.

The shit hit the fan one day when Rose had gotten a call from a frantic Esme. Jasper was gone hunting. Edward had apparently gone to see the family lawyer. While the man said nothing knowing he would suffer Jasper's wrath, but of course all Edward had to do was mention Jasper and he read the man's thoughts.

He went home and told Alice that he knew our whereabouts and asked if she wanted to come and try to get Jasper under control and back home with her. Esme tried to talk them out of it, at least until the danger from Victoria was over. Apparently, the killing and disappearances were still going on.

Peter knew something was about to happen because he said his knower was going off like crazy. As soon as Rose had hung up, all the vampires were packing. I think they packed up for everyone, including Jasper's and my stuff, in thirty minutes. Jasper hadn't gotten back yet and so far no one had been able to reach him.

They threw all of the luggage in three cars and we peeled out. I was frantic about leaving Jasper behind. They told me he would catch up, their priority was to keep me safe. Peter finally explained that it wasn't just Edward and Alice they had to worry about.

Since Edward had gone to Seattle and had been around Forks, he was pretty sure that either Victoria or some of her minions would be following Edward. He was stupid enough to come here and lead Victoria straight to me.

I hated leaving the ranch. I had fallen in love with the place. I asked where we were going and they said they had a place in Arizona that we could stay at. It was secluded and almost in the opposite direction from where we had been. This time though, Jenks, the lawyer wouldn't know where we had gone.

The only reason he had known where Jasper was is because he knew his location before Jasper and I ever met up. There were papers that Jasper needed from his lawyer, therefore he had his address.

Peter drove Jasper's truck, while Char drove their car and Emmett drove his and Rose's car. I was in the car with Em and Rose and we were going much faster than the speed limit. I wasn't worried about that though.

The pain in my chest was getting worse the farther we got from the ranch. I was worried about Jasper. Why wasn't he answering his phone? Maybe Victoria had already found us and she had hurt or killed him.

I kept trying to reach him and had left dozens of messages all asking him to call me back. He had said that he wasn't going to go all the way into the city to hunt. He would just find a few deer, or maybe a wolf, or mountain lion.

The pain kept getting worse until they finally had to pull over. I had doubled over and was fighting to keep from crying from the intensity of the pain and the pull. At least we were far enough away that they wouldn't find us at least for a few hours.

Peter insisted that they couldn't track us because of the fact that we were in cars. As long as they hadn't been following us they would have a hard time finding us. With Alice being unable to see because of me apparently, he was sure we would be safe enough to wait for Jasper.

That sent me into a panic. What if because Jasper wasn't with me, Alice could see him? What if they cornered him and he got hurt trying to get away from them. Part of me kind of hoped that maybe they would catch up to him and be stupid enough to follow him straight into Peter, Char, Rose, Emmett and of course Jasper.

I was in tremendous pain and was curled up in a fetal position. Rose and Char were both sitting with me in the back of Jasper's truck rubbing my back and trying to distract me with funny stories about their mates.

I heard a phone ring and then voices. Rose told me that it was Jasper and Peter had told him what was going on. Apparently, he was feeling the pain and the pull and was already on his way. They put the phone next to me and put it on speaker and I heard Jasper's pain filled voice telling me he was on his way and to please hold on. It sounded like he was just as bad as I was.

He hung up so he could run faster. It was while I was laying there that I realized something. While Jasper and I had been together, but not sexually, we still hadn't told each other how we felt. While waiting for him to get here, I knew, that I loved him. I needed to tell him so badly.

As time past I started feeling the pain ease up, the pull as well seemed to ease up. He was getting closer. While Char and Rose stayed in the truck with me the guys kept close making sure that we wouldn't be ambushed.

Once the pain eased up I was able to relax just a tiny bit. I wouldn't relax completely until Jasper was here. I must have dozed off because before I could register a change I felt his arms around me. He pulled me up and sat me in his lap.

My arms were around his neck and I was kissing him passionately. I didn't fucking care if there were four others around. He was here, with me, safe. He was dirty, with leaves and twigs in his hair. His shirt and pants were torn and had some blood on them. I didn't fucking care.

We drove on through the night. We only stopped to get gas, or to grab me something to eat. We didn't stop at any motels this time. Everyone wanted to get as much distance between us and the ranch.

Jasper refused to let me go. He finally had to so that I could go to the restroom. He was pissed and worried for me. He was pissed that Edward had stooped that low to try to find me, when he should have been trying to track down Victoria.

I fell asleep and only woke up when we pulled off the road and onto a dirt road, if you can even call it that. It was bumpy and the two cars had to go slow. The place was smaller and out in the middle of nowhere.

Sadly it was worn down and would need some major repair work done on it before it was liveable. Most of the plumbing would have to be replaced, as well as the wiring. My frustration grew. There was no way I could stay here, until it had been fixed. It was too hot here during the day to not have a/c as its usually one hundred and twenty degrees in the shade.

I should know, I had lived most of my life in this state. I was beginning to curse Edward even more. First he throws me away like garbage, then he chases after me forcing me to have to run from his ass.

I did ask why we didn't just stay and fight his ass. It was the same answer I always got, I'm human and therefore, in danger. At this point I was tired, angry, hot and sexually frustrated. So what do I do? I take it out on Jasper when he was only trying to make me feel better by holding me.

He did leave me long enough to talk it over with everyone else about what to do with the weak, helpless human. I just needed to get away for a few minutes. The longer I stayed here, the more pissed off I became. They were once again talking about what the near future would hold for me, without my input.

I got out on the opposite side of the truck. They were closer to the house, so they wouldn't be able to see me at least not right away. I wasn't going far, just for a short walk. I knew the pull and the pain wouldn't let me go too far.

I actually got about a mile away before I heard him yelling my name. I didn't stop, just kept walking. He was in front of me before I could take three more steps, "Isabella, what in the fuck do you think you're doing? Its dangerous out here for you. Do you have a fucking death wish? Is that it, you want to die? I told you to stay in the truck until we could decide what to do? Do I really need to tie you down to make you do what you're told to do?"

Oh he did _NOT _just tell me what to do! That right there is why I'm so fucking pissed off. I'm being told what to do and don't seem to have any control over my own life. I'm still running from fucking vampires.

I felt him pick me up before I could answer him and he ran at vampire speed back to the truck. He had set me down and was about to help me back into the truck when I blew up, "No, I'm not getting in that fucking truck at least not until you fucking listen to me! This is why I didn't want to be back into the world of vampires. I'm once again running for my life, being chased by more than one vampire, my parents, friends, dead. Finding one new home only to be forced to once again run. Only to find the place we ran to isn't fit to be lived in by human or vampires. I have no family, no friends and now no place to live. Now you want to take away even the tiny bit of control I have over my life by making plans for my life, without my input. I'm tired, lonely, horny, and hungry. I'm frustrated because the one who is supposed to love me and take care of my every need refuses to fucking touch me because _HE_ says he needs to fucking stay focused, because there just might be a fucking vampire that will show up and hurt me even though I'm surrounded by vampires that can fight and win. Right now, I don't want fucking protection, I want to be fucking loved, but since you vampires seem to know what I need better than I do go right ahead and fucking plan my life. Just please make sure to let me know what I'll be doing and where I'll be staying the next few days. I really just don't fucking care anymore. You know what, forget even telling me, just wind me up and turn me in the direction you want me to go. Until then, just go right ahead and ignore me. And don't even fucking think about touching me! I'll just be your little puppet, I'll be quiet and you don't have to worry, I'll make sure that I won't complain. Maybe if I'm lucky, Victoria will find me and you won't have to fucking worry about the fucking weak human anymore!" I screamed out.

I got up into the back of the truck and slammed the door as hard as I could leaving five very shocked, very stunned vampires standing there staring at me. . .

**A/N I would really love to know your thoughts about Bella's little rant. Think she was right in being angry? Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and added this story to their favorites and alerts. Love you guys.**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N Thanks to my friend and beta OoJasper'sAngeloO for her awesome work. This chapter is all in Rose's POV, and the girls have some bonding time. Not really much going on except that Rose tries to explain a few things to Bella. Hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Rose's POV**

To say that we were all shocked by Bella's outburst would be an understatement. This was not the same girl we had left behind. Oh no, the one we left would have just let us keep making plans and just gone along with whatever we told her to do.

I found myself liking her. She didn't care that we were all vampires. She stood up to us and let us know exactly what our actions or as in Jasper's case, no action at all, was making her feel. The thing is, she was right.

We had been discussing what we were going to do and what would be the best way to protect her. We came here because we knew the place was run down, we just hadn't expected it to be so badly run down that there was no way Bella could stay here until it was fixed up. This was the one place that Edward never knew about and since no one else knew about it he couldn't find it, or even track us through names.

It was actually Jasper's place. He had bought it about five years ago, wanting a place to get away and maybe raise some horses. He had told Em and I about it as well as Peter and Char. He said that once it was fixed up that we could go and spend some time there.

He didn't want Alice to find out about it because it would be where he would go to get some space away from her and the family. It was the same for us. Sadly, though right after he had purchased it, we moved.

We had been living in Colorado and while it wasn't that close it was much closer than it was from Forks which is where we moved to. He never had a chance to come back and do any work on it, as Alice always kept him busy. None of us had actually seen it since he bought it. Until now.

Right now though we needed to find a safe place for Bella and Jasper needed to take care of the needs of his mate. I knew that they hadn't been together yet, she had been injured and needed to heal.

The problem with him though is that he's so fucking intense about protecting her that he's ignoring her and ignoring her needs. I find it interesting that she, being human, could see that as well. I'm glad she called him out on it, shows she's not going to let even her mate walk on her.

But I do need to be honest here and say that he has never really had a mate and therefore doesn't really understand certain things about females. Like how we need to be told that we are loved and shown by actions that we are very much desired.

Yeah, he's an empath, yet he thinks that just her feeling his feelings for her will be enough. Like most men he's fucking clueless when it comes to females. Oh he knows how to bring pleasure to them, but not how to love them. He can only go by the two that used him.

I would have to have a conversation with him, but first I would need to talk to Bella. I wasn't an empath, but even I knew there was no fucking way she would allow Jasper near her right now. She had turned her back as soon as she was inside the truck.

I could tell that Char wanted to talk to her as well. I told the guys to stay away, to go hunt until we had talked to Bella. She wouldn't like it if they could hear the conversation. I also thought that it might be a good idea if maybe Em and Peter could talk to Jasper and explain a few things about us females.

It took Emmett a long time to figure out that what I need as a woman is to be told that I'm loved, as well as to be shown it and not just through sex either. I didn't really need the romance, but it didn't hurt to put a little in our relationship.

I whispered quickly to Em that maybe him and Peter should talk to Jasper and explain a few things. I also wanted them to let him know that we would watch their backs if he decided to take her out for dinner and maybe a little private time to just be together, without having to look over their shoulders or be alert.

After they were gone, which pissed Jasper off big time as he wanted to talk to Bella, but I knew that right now he would only make things worse. She wouldn't be receptive to anything he might say as she would see it as him doing it just because he didn't want her mad at him. Its the way I would have seen it had it been Em and I.

Char and I both approached the truck and asked if we could talk to her. She was so fucking angry that she snapped, "Aren't you afraid that I might be attacked while talking to you? I'm sure the guys would be pissed at me for making you talk to me and not protecting me."

She was hurt. That much was very clear. I could understand, because my brother was an idiot when it came to women and their needs, mate or not. He had been so focused on wanting to keep her safe, that he has forgotten that she has needs too.

He's a pro at protection, but again a total idiot when it comes to love. Oh well maybe the bear of a husband of mine as well as Peter can help him realize just where he made his mistake. In the meantime Char and I would have to deal with Bella.

"Bella please let us talk to you. I know you're angry and hurt and I know why. Just please can we sit inside with you and talk to you?" Char asked.

"Well its not like I can stop you, you are vampires after all. I'm sure that I will have to listen even if I don't want to. Its not like I'm in charge of my own life. Just get it over with and leave me the fuck alone!" She cried out.

She was trying to sound strong, but we could both hear she was crying. It broke my heart to hear how badly our actions had hurt her. I really hated Edward now. I hadn't until this happened. He had done a real number on her that's for sure.

We both got in the truck, but Char got in front to start it so that we could turn on the ac. Bella was sweating badly and was flushed from the heat. I sat in the back with Bella. I was going to try to get her to understand some things about Jasper.

I told her about how all of the females that Jasper has been involved with had used him. Neither loved him and both were easily able to manipulate him into thinking that they were in love with him. Since he just basically had to go along with them in order to keep them happy, he has no clue how to treat someone that actually does care for him.

I could see her face soften just a little bit and knew that I was on the right track. I told her that as her mate, it was his duty to keep her safe. He has tremendous experience at keeping others safe and protecting them, but has had no experience in showing love because he doesn't think that with his gift he needed to.

I explained that if anything else happened to her that it would kill Jasper. He's so worried that someone would get to her and take her away that his only concern has been for her safety. Yeah, he knew she was needing him in more ways than just sex, but he was too focused on her safety.

That didn't make it right that he wasn't showing her affection, or at least touching and kissing her. As a female she needs more than just being held at night and chaste kisses. Right now, I needed her to understand that she would just have to be patient with him.

I did tell her that we needed to find a motel for her to stay at while we fixed the house up. I knew just from looking at the outside that it might take a couple of weeks to get it up to the point of being livable for at least a human. I also told her that from now on, she would be included in any conversations that had to do with her.

It was then that Char came up with an awesome idea. Jasper could hire someone to do all of the repairs and we could all go to Las Vegas and just relax and have fun. No one could track us right now and with Bella around Alice wouldn't be able to "see" where we were.

She and Jasper could then take the time to just be with each other and get to really know each other without fear of anyone finding us. I knew that this is what she really needed. To just be able to be with her mate and not be worried if she would be found.

She actually started to feel better as Char and I talked about the things we could do there. We would need to get a fake ID for her. Not because she wasn't old enough, but because we didn't want to use her real name or any of ours for that matter.

That would only take a couple of days. In the meantime, we could stay at a hotel or something and plan what we would do once in Vegas. The more we talked, the more she became excited.

Shortly after that the boys came back. Jasper looked like he was in tremendous pain. I suppose he was as they had to go into the nearest town to hunt and that was about fifty miles away. I also had a feeling that he had been told about what his actions, or lack of, was saying to his mate. He didn't want her, not really.

He stopped about thirty feet from the truck and just looked at us. I asked Bella if she was ready to talk to Jasper. I watched him as she looked up at me, and saw the intense pain in his eyes when her answer finally came, "I'm not as mad as I was, but it hurts that he doesn't want to be with me. I'm just so fucking tired and I'm tired of running, only to have to run again. On top of that I have a very sexy mate who refuses to let me in. I understand that he's been hurt badly in the past. At one time he couldn't keep his hands off of me, now he won't even kiss me like I want him to. What's wrong with me, Rose? Is it because I'm a fucking human and he realized what a mistake he almost made? Edward did the same thing, if that's the case then change me right here, right now!"

I hadn't realized it, but she was right. Jasper had been treating her the same way as Edward had. The only difference being that Edward didn't want to lose control and Jasper wanted to keep control in case some of the vampires after Bella caught up to us.

She also didn't know that the boys were back. Char spoke up and said that the boys were back and she was going to go and talk to them about the plan. Bella wouldn't even turn to look at them.

I could hear them talking and it was obvious that both Peter and Em had indeed spoken to Jasper about a woman's need to have affection. He kept saying, "I didn't know, I didn't understand. Please tell her how fucking sorry I am."

I listened as the guys heard about the plan and started to get excited. We had all been on high alert and I have a feeling that all of us could use a vacation. Jasper didn't though. He was upset that his mate had been hurting and he hadn't even noticed and she probably thought he didn't care.

He hadn't taken his eyes off of the back of her head since they got back. They needed to talk, get this out in the open between them. I told Bella that she needed to talk to Jasper and we needed to plan the next step in operation Las Vegas vacation.

I told her that the guys had been told and were all for it. We needed to find someone who could fix up the place so it was livable. Make the arrangements and then head out to Vegas.

She nodded that she would listen to what he had to say. I told her to look behind her and look at Jasper. I knew that the sight of pain in his eyes would be enough to convince her to go easy on him. That's one thing about being mates, it hurts worse than anything to know that you're responsible for causing your mate pain.

It worked and she opened the door to let him come inside. I made my way out of the truck on the other side. I quickly made my way to the others and we walked further away to give them at least a little privacy. I just hoped that they could work things out. They just had to, they were mates after all. . .

**A/N Let me know what you think. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and added this story to their favorites and alerts. Love you guys.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N A huge thanks to my friend and beta OoJasper'sAngeloO for her help with this chapter. I love you girl. Alright, here Bella and Jasper have a talk. Just to warn you, there is a mini lemon in this chapter or maybe its a lime. Oh well, just a little taste of whats to cum. Now, that's funny, and hopefully you'll see why. Hope you enjoy.**

**I still don't own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Peter's POV**

Ya know it's not easy knowin' shit sometimes. Its even harder to know something, but not know the why or when. I knew that we needed to protect my brother's mate, but not from who. How in the hell was I to have guessed that maybe the protection would be needed from his own ass.

Oh, not that he would ever physically hurt her. Na, this was about him not understandin' just what his mate needed. He was scared shitless that she would be taken again or worse, killed. He was keepin' his instincts down by not touchin' or claimin her.

He was so fuckin' focused on her safety that he's forgotten that she still needs some lovin'. He needs to just fuckin' claim her. I can't sense any danger right now, or even in the near future. He needs to man up, claim her pretty lil' ass and then turn her. Yep that'll do it. Then he might be the one needin' protectin'.

Yep, I think he'll be the one needin' protection from her. She's a real firecracker as a human, I can't even begin to imagine what she's gonna be like as a vampire. I can't fuckin' wait. Both Emmett and I did talk with him and explained a few things about females, especially mates.

He really had no clue. He does now though. Now he needs to get his ass in gear and I know that this Las Vegas trip is gonna turn out to be better than anyone can imagine. He doesn't know it yet and neither does she, but something is gonna happen that will change things in a major way. Yep and I get a front row seat!

**Jasper's POV**

I think that the worst feelin' I have ever had is the knowledge that I was hurtin' my mate and was so fuckin' focused on protectin' her that I forgot that she has needs as my mate. I have the same needs, probably even more than she does with me bein' a vampire. I don't fuckin' care about my needs.

I just need to make sure that no one can touch her, take her away from me or worse. I don't think she understands just how much it would kill me if anythin' happened to her. When we were still at the ranch I knew that Victoria could have easily had someone followin' us and needed to stay alert.

When I heard that Edward had found out about where she was and they had to run I went crazy. I tore up a huge area in the woods before headin' in their direction. My sole focus at that point was keepin' her away from Edward.

I still can't be sure that someone isn't followin' us but hopefully Peter's gift would have kicked in if that was the case. I really believed that because she is human, that she wouldn't feel the same needs as I do. Guess I was wrong.

I went and slid in next to her. She slid over puttin' some distance between us. That hurt, but I guess I can understand why she did it. I finally asked if she could at least turn around and face me. She did as I asked. I didn't need my gift to see the pain in her eyes.

"Darlin' I'm so fuckin' sorry for hurtin' you and for ignorin' your needs. It's not an excuse, but you need to know that I truly didn't think that you would feel the same needs as I do for a mate. You are human and I. . ."

"Don't you think I fucking know that I'm human? I hate that I have to fucking sit on my ass and watch as everyone around me fights. How many times have I tried to seduce you over the last few weeks? But I get that I'm human and we can't have you being distracted because otherwise someone might just take me again, or kill me.

But surely it wouldn't hurt for you to kiss me. Oh no, that can't happen because then Bella might want more and you can't have that, I'm human. You could touch me like you did in my truck, but no, I might get taken if you're not paying attention.

That's a bunch of bullshit! I think its more like you realized that you made a mistake and just don't know how to let the human know it. Well that's fine Jasper. I don't need another Edward in my life. Just drop me off somewhere and I'll leave you alone. You won't have to ever be bothered by me again."

I couldn't stop the growl that came out. How dare she compare me to fuckward. Even worse, how dare she tell me to leave her. I decided that maybe I needed to show her a thing or two, the Major's way.

I grabbed her and pulled her into my lap. Putting my hands on both sides of her face I pulled her lips to mine and gave her the most passionate kiss I have ever given her.

She started to struggle at first, but soon quickly melted into the kiss. I finally had to stop so she could breathe. I could smell her arousal. I know that she could feel how excited I was.

I whispered at vampire speed for the others to leave us alone for a few minutes. Rose got upset about us being in the back of the truck, until I told her that I wouldn't be takin' my mate's virginity in the back of the truck. I would wait until it could be done properly, in a bed, but she needed to get some kind of release for all of her pent up emotions.

Kissin' her had set her off and she was undoin' my shirt. I let her. I wouldn't be taking off anything else, but I would be makin' sure that she had an orgasm and not with my gift either.

I quickly lifted her up to push down her shorts and panties, takin' them off completely. She was frantic in her movements wantin' my pants off as well. I stopped her and told her that I wasn't goin' to be takin' her here in the back of the truck.

I felt her rejection and quickly told her that I was goin' to make sure she had some release. I also explained that I would wait to take her fully when we were in a bed. Right now, I just wanted her to have an orgasm. I needed to take care of her.

Her arousal became even stronger and was almost overwhelming me. This might be harder than I thought to try to control myself. I would just have to be satisfied by hearing her scream out my name as she came in my mouth.

I used both hands to first squeeze her ass and then brought one hand in front to play with her clit, while the other hand came in from behind and started to rub her slick folds before pushing a finger inside of her hot, tight pussy.

She was keeping her mouth busy kissing me, our tongues battling for dominance. As soon as one finger was up inside of her she moaned in my mouth. That made me harder and this was goin' to be a true test of my control. I wasn't sure if I could hold back.

I waited a few seconds and then pushed a second finger in and she started to rock against my hand actually fuckin' my fingers. Her moans became louder and I could feel that she was getting close to her orgasm.

The sounds coming out of her pretty lil' mouth was drivin' me fuckin' crazy, but I was a man on a mission. I stopped what I was doin' and she groaned in frustration. I quickly laid her down and then kissed down her neck and makin' my way down so that I could drink in some of her sweet nectar.

As soon as my tongue touched her sweet tastin' pussy she bucked up into my face. I used one hand to spread first her legs and then her lips. Then I used my tongue to fuck her pussy and after she was almost there I changed my tongue with my fingers and used my tongue on her clit. She was so close and movin' my fingers in and out quickly brought her to the brink and then over.

She arched her back and screamed out my name in pure, wild bliss. I let her come down before moving her back in my lap. I wasn't finished with her yet. Moving her back into the same position as she had been in before, I again used my hands, one in front and the other from the back.

I used my fingers to once again start fuckin' her pretty pussy, while my other hand was busy with her clit. Again it didn't take long especially when I had three fingers pumpin' in and out of her.

She was moanin' and beggin for more. She had started to buck and grind against my cock and it was makin' it even harder for me to try to control myself. I started to imagine it was my cock inside of her and I knew right then that we were both about to lose it.

As soon as she clinched down on my fingers and started to scream I lost it and came right in my pants like a fuckin' high school boy. The heat from her pussy had been too much for me. I couldn't fuckin' wait until I could sink my cock into her.

Once we both had come down I knew I had to tell her, "Darlin', that was just a small sample of what I'm goin' to be doin' to you once we are alone. I can't fuckin' wait. I love you baby and I promise I will always give you a choice and I'll do whatever your lil' heart desires. Now can I call the rest of them back so we can head to Vegas?

I will say that I think it would be best if we keep the truck all to ourselves. You already know that Peter and Emmett will have a field day with this. Make them stay in the other two cars. That way we can stay close and I might just be persuaded to keep touchin' ya.

Once in Vegas, you're all mine and I'm goin' to spend days showin' ya all the ways I love ya. Are ya ready for that?"

She just smiled and then nodded. I think that she was still light headed from the intense orgasms she had just experienced. At least she wasn't mad at me anymore, but I had one more thing that she needed to understand, "Isabella, I understand what you were sayin' before about being treated the same way as Edward had treated you, but if you EVER compare me to him again I will have to bend you over my knee and spank you. I am not him and I was truly only concerned about your safety. I will not ever treat you as he did. Is that clear?"

I felt her lust spike when I mentioned spankin' her even though I wasn't sure if it was the spanking part or the bending her over my knee that turned her on. Either way we would visit that at a later date.

She spoke up then, "Yeah Jasper, I understand, but you have to admit that you were treating me like I had no choice. And just so you know, I love you too."

"You really didn't at that point, have a choice, but I should have at least allowed you to be a part of our conversation. That was wrong of me to keep you out of it. I promise, unless its about something you can't control, you will be a part of it every time."

"That's all I ask. I know I don't really have control right now because of all of the vampires after me, namely Victoria and Edward, but I need to at least feel like I do. Thank you for at least being willing to include me. That right there proves to me that you are really nothing like Edward. I'm sorry for implying that you were. I'm sorry for being so fucking selfish as to not realize that you needed me to be safe. I can't believe how stupid and selfish I have been. Can you forgive me?"

"Darlin' there's nothing for you to be sorry for. I should have realized that you needed more from me than just my protection. I have never had anyone who cared about me and just wanted to be with me, just because they wanted me. I think we both need to realize that we both have baggage and we can work through it as long as we work together and be totally honest and upfront about things. From now on I'll tell you if something is botherin' me, but you'll have to do the same thing darlin'. I'm not a mind reader after all."

She laughed and said, "Thank goodness for that. Even though he couldn't read my mind, it still worried me that one day he would. I have a bad habit of thinking of stupid shit. Yes, I agree and promise that next time I need to get shit off my chest, I'll talk to you, alone and not scream everything out at everyone. I love you Jasper and sometimes it scares me just how much I do."

"I'm scared too, darlin'. So how about we get this show on the road sooner rather than later and maybe by this time tomorrow I can have you in a bed, naked and squirmin' underneath me, while screamin' out my name as you cum in my mouth."

I felt her lust skyrocket and just groaned, knowin' that this was goin' to be the longest and fuckin' slowest trip ever. . .

**A/N Please let me know what you think. Hoped you like the small lemon. Next chapter they travel to Las Vegas, and of course combine that with Peter, and Emmett and well you know them. Although I will say that their mischief won't really start for a few more chapters but we'll get a taste of things that Peter enjoys doing. A surprise in the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and added this story to their favorites and alerts, love you guys.**


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